Kanassa: The Goddess of Fire
by Xeye.two.eyeX
Summary: .Sequel to Dahdtoudi: The Servant Girl. Kanassa has settled into her life with the Tribe of Fire deep within the Amazon until Lex and Weyland Industries interrupt her. The Hunt has begun and she that their Temple is in danger of being overrun by monsters.
1. Chapter 1

**Kanassa: The Goddess of Fire**

**Summary:** .Sequel to Dahdtoudi: The Servant Girl. Kanassa has settled into her life with the Tribe of Fire deep within the Amazon until Lex and Weyland Industries interrupt her. The Hunt has begun and she that their Temple is in danger of being overrun by monsters.

**Rating:** MA

_For chapter: M_

**Warnings: **Hinted sexual situations; language

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Predator or any of the ideas from their culture that stem from the movies or the comics. However, I do own Kanassa/Ak'ta and the underlying plot idea. Please do not steal.

English; _Portuguese_; **Yautja**

**Extra Note: **This is the sequel to another one of my stories so if you read this one you probably won't understand a lot! I suggest you go read my first story before reading this one so you won't be confused!

* * *

"Let me the fuck go!"

"Not until you admit it!"

"Fuck you!"

"Admit it!"

The whole village stopped to watch the two fighters wrestling in the middle of the village the women shaking their head as the two spouted off quick English while rolling around like monkeys. Luckily, me, the woman, was sitting on top of the man with my knees digging into his forearms looking rather triumphant in my position of domination. The man was glaring up at me with a look of pure hatred and embarrassment at being pinned yet again. "Just admit it! I beat you all the time! I'm the best in this village! You're just a silly village boy!" I laugh settling in my position on his chest cutting off his breath as my weight plus the weight of his pectoral muscles pressed into his lungs.

"You just use underhanded tricks!" he snaps breathlessly as he struggles to get up but I had all of my weight positioned just right to where he could move his legs all he wanted but there wasn't anyway he was getting away. I may not look like much with my long, lithe legs and lean pale body but I was a ball of fire. Then again my nickname was, The Fire Goddess, so I guess it was fitting to call myself that. "You've gained weight haven't you? It's all in your ass!" he retaliates with words.

I gasp indignantly at his words glaring down at him while putting more pressure on his chest slightly making him gasp for air. "My ass has not gotten any bigger thank you! I know it's rather large but I think it's a lot more embarrassing to have a small dick, like you!" I laugh at him. He was the one to huff indignantly this time trying to get a word of edgewise in but I was cutting off his breathing so it wasn't like he could speak. "What was that? You didn't say anything so I guess you agree! Poor, poor Shifter! I guess you have to make your dick bigger by using your gift! Oh how sad but you know what they say, 'You have to have love for the tiny dicks too!'"

He huffed out something that sounded strangely like, _bitch_, but he was loosing air fast but I didn't give him a chance to before I was off of his chest and across the wrestling circle before he had a chance to get up. He gasped for air that his lungs desperately needed glaring over at me. I just gave him a playful smirk over my shoulder before fixing my loincloth and top. I ran my hand through my shortly cropped mess of orange/red hair having kept I cut the last seven years since the explosion of the Weyland Industries building.

"God you're such a bitch!" Bolivar said as he ran to catch up with me so we could walk the perimeter of the village as a cool down. We were silent for a long time before he cleared his throat rather loudly; it was such a human thing to do I laughed having never really thought of Bolivar as a human seeing as he was of a very special breed of humans. He was a Kwei, in Yautja, but on Earth he was known as a Shifter. He could change his shape to anything he wanted as long as he had seen it before. I looked up at him curiously. "So, um, it's the full moon tonight."

I didn't slow down my even stride as I looked away. The full moon meant a lot for Shifters. Shifters are probably where the legend of the Werewolf came from because of the full moon they reverted back to their original forms and had a strong urge to Mate. Bolivar was no different from his brethren just because he spent a lot of time around humans. I found this out the hard way the first full moon after I had recovered. I followed him out to the river, where he was inevitably dragged by his instincts. Curiosity dragged me with him and I found out what he truly looked like and I had been floored.

Looking at the dark-skinned youth you would never guess his true form was a pure white skinned creature of beauty. His skin seemed to glow with eyes of such a dark blue they looked endless. His hair fell down to his waist and it was the color of clouds with a slight hint of blue strung within the strands. On the bank of the river he had stretched out to his true height of seven feet with a long lithe body instead of muscular and intimidating. I had hidden in the brush to watch the beautiful display only to find the most intimate details as Bolivar had turned around to stare straight at me through the brush.

I ran a hand through my hair with a sigh. We had made love in the forest while the rain misted our skins soaking up the sweat from the humidity of the jungle. Ever since then I had followed him out so that I would be the one to get the beating from him instead of a random village person (I say village person because gender doesn't matter to them for obvious reasons). I nodded my head slightly looking up to see him smiling brightly. He knew I wasn't comfortable with sex; I hadn't been ever since Ak'ta had died in my mind. I probably wouldn't be comfortable with sex but he was my best friend and I had full trust in him. He was gentle with me when we gave in to the urges of the Shifters but that's not what I wanted. I wanted…

"_Outsiders! Outsiders approaching, Kanassa!"_ a voice yelled in the native language catching my attention from my friend to see one of the scouts running towards me. I grab him by the shoulder to stop his rapid pace before he could barrel me over in his haste. _"A group of outsiders, five of them, two females, and three males. They're heading this way, Goddess!"_

"_Tell everyone to get into their huts and do not come out until I give the signal,"_ I tell him watching him run off before looking to Bolivar. "It's probably just another team of scientists. Will you come with me?" He scoffs as if the idea of letting me go alone was ridiculous making me laugh. I never knew I could have a friend like Bolivar who would risk life and death to protect me; then again I would do the same for him so it was only fair. I watch him as he Shifts into jet black panther by my side. _"My weapons!"_ The words only needed to be shouted before I found my combi-stick and my bow and quiver of arrows. I strapped them on before nodding to my animal friend.

We ran to the edge of the forest with me calling for everyone to get inside in the native language before following Bolivar as he scented out the unwelcome visitors. I daftly jumped over giant roots and under foliage watching out for brush predators though with a panther in front of me I probably wouldn't be bothered. I could sense the presence of the other humans now and slowed down to stalk them as they came closer. There was talking amongst the group and when I saw that they were armed I moved slowly from the brush right in their path.

"Stop, you come into the territory of the Tribe of Fire," I say watching the men reach for their guns until one of the women steps up making me gasp. "Natasha?!"

* * *

You would think with what had happened in the frozen wasteland so many years ago I wouldn't want to go back into any more temples and just keep to mountain climbing like a good girl. Well…that wasn't true. Since the death and destruction of those…things and the Predator who had helped me survive I had been drawn to exhibitions into the unknown territories of ruins and temples. I don't know why; I think it's my morbid curiosity. Mountain climbing just isn't the same since I fought and won the respect of my strange friend. _Scar_, that stupid name I had given him because of the mark on his forehead. It's weird that I had cried when I saw him die and be taken away from my grasp.

"Lex, we're getting close to the village," our guide, Natasha, said catching my attention back from my daydreaming. I nodded my head glad I had cut off my hair or I would have foolishly tried to make it into dreadlocks much like that of my dead hunting partner. Our guide was a tall woman with long jet black hair with glasses covering her brown eyes. She was quite strong for being a scientist but she had been the first person to volunteer to take us to a village where there would be a proper guide to give them a tour of the nearby temple. "It should be—"

Before she could get a word out a young female stalked out of the brush to block their path her body covered in the pelt of a wild animal showing off her ripped stomach where a six-pack set perfectly and her legs were strong with lean muscles that were dangerous. I tensed up at her defensive even though she wasn't in a stance I could still see the warning in the coiled muscles of her legs and the way a muscle worked in her neck.

"Stop, you come into the territory of the Tribe of Fire," she tells us in a strong, alto voice that surprised me before I held out my hands to the guys grabbing for their guns. "Natasha?!" I jerked at her word looking at our guide to see her smiling slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Coming to find you, Jessica!" our guide laughs brightly walking over to the stunned woman just as a man slinks out of the brush standing by the girl's side protectively. To look at him you would think he was a native but I could see the beautiful blue eyes under his dark black lashes that were trained on my men and me in warning. I knew the look in his eyes and gestured for the men to put away their guns; I had a feeling they would do no good here.

"Kanassa, my name is Kanassa, Natasha," she says looking frustrated at something I couldn't even begin to name. Why was Natasha calling her Jessica? She was obviously no Jessica.

"Kanassa?" I speak up catching the female's jerked attention. "Isn't that the Bringer of Fire God?"

She lets a wide smirk cross her face as if she were entertained by my comment. "I see you have a female who knows her mythology of the region. Yes, the people of my tribe call me the Goddess of Fire," she tells me with a slight hint of secret in her voice. The way she was sizing me up I had a feeling she had accepted me with a nod of her head before she turned back to her old friend. "Why have you come? I wish you would have sent word before you came out here. You gave my village quite the scare." Her words were full of frustration but she wasn't at all angry and her position wasn't that of defense anymore.

"I'm sorry but it was such short notice and you know how news travels out here: Slow as fuck!" Natasha laughs earning a laugh from the girl who clapped her hand over the woman's shoulder and shook in a friendly gesture. "These explorers came to me looking for a guide to take them into the temple."

Kanassa's brow furrows suspiciously at us but she hides it after a few seconds. "Come we'll discuss the logistics in my hut. Bolivar, will you sent the signal and alert the village that everything is as it should be?" she asks the young man whose eyes hadn't left the men for one minute since he showed up. _"Por favor? Eu vou ficar bem,"_ she tells him in what sounded like Portuguese before he nods and disappears into the underbrush. "Follow me please."

* * *

I lead them back to the village glad to be back in my comfort zone as I took them to my hut. _"Everything is okay, go back to your business,"_ I tell my people with a wave of my hand before pulling back the door cover to my home and allowing them in. Bolivar appears at that moment leaning forward to whisper in my ear.

"_We will need to keep them inside tonight,"_ he tells me unnecessarily. It was dangerous for outsiders to roam the night of the full moon. The locals knew to stay inside with their huts protected with local herbs that covered their human scent. Women were especially cautious so they didn't get impregnated without knowing it by the River Dolphins turned humanoid.

"I know, come get inside," I tell him letting him bend so he could get in without bumping his head before I too walked in closing the flap. I set up to move my weapons and bed made of pelts over to the side of my hut so there would be more room; I put my combi-stick, bow, and quiver up on the wall where I had designed a spot for them before taking my spot in the circle. I saw the woman, Lex, glance to my combi-stick with shock before looking back into the circle. I narrowed my eyes for a second but decided she just thought it was a strange weapon to have and got down to business. "Now, what is your business in the Temple? It is sacred to my tribe and we don't let people tread lightly within the Temple without some reason. Most people are grave robbers; I have killed plenty of those close to the Temple though most don't ask for a guide so I guess you're not planning on robbing our sacred ground, so why?" I ask feeling Bolivar starting to get twitchy the closer the full moon became. Good thing we still had a couple hours left before he would rip his clothing off and run to the river.

"First off, my name is Lex," the woman speaks up before the men could. She points to a blond, bulky man with a rather wicked scar running from his right ear down to his chin. "This is John Miller." She then points to a second man with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes his body lean and his smile pure white with a hint of corruption. "This is David Brown." Then the last man was chocolate skinned just like Lex with a sweet smile and a genuine curiosity that I found very beautiful about him. "And finally Johnny Carson."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," I say shaking each hand in turn the gesture feeling awkward because I never used it unless the village found themselves entertaining outsiders. "I am the protector of the village, Kanassa. This is my friend Bolivar from a neighboring village; he comes by to help me out when I need him and we were sparring early before word of your arrival came." I placed my hand on the man's arm to show our companionship feeling his muscles coiling under the skin. "Bolivar why don't you go outside and make sure the village is okay?"

He nodded his head obviously needing to be outside where he could at least feel like a free animal. "You'll have to excuse Bolivar tonight is the night where everyone but the protectors stay in the village, in their huts with special herbs, because of the Boto Dolphins," I explain with a smile that said I wasn't joking but the men laughed anyways. The women did not though; I knew why Natasha did not laugh but I could not guess why Lex was silent.

"You mean the shape-shifting dolphins that take the appearance of beautiful men to impregnate village females? They still believe that mess?!" John insults making me cringe before Lex sends him a death look that shuts him up instantly. "What? It's just superstition!"

"Mr. Miller, I ask you to not laugh at my people and their customs. You may not believe in the legend of the Boto Dolphin but I do," I snap catching his attention. "And if you wish for me to show you to the Temple I suggest you follow my customs for tonight and stay in my hut with the herbs so that you are not harmed in your disbelief."

Lex holds up her hands to placate my anger. "Please, excuse him he doesn't understand the mysteries of the world! We will stay in your hut tonight but tomorrow we must go to the Temple," she tries to explain and I nod my head. "We're from Weyland Industries—"I must have looked like I had been smacked because the name made me jerk my attention back to Natasha who held her hands up much like Lex had a few minutes earlier. "What—"

"Ah, she knows about the Weyland station that was set up here seven years ago," David speaks up with a dirty smile on his face. "Surprisingly though it was blow to smithereens with a trail of blood leading into the forest. Wouldn't happen to know about that would you?"

I spit at his feet and stand up glaring at all of them. "You can forget about even going toward our Temple! Weyland Industries is nothing but a death-trap! You think that everything you see belongs to you, well you can forget it! Get anywhere near the Temple and I swear I'll kill every single one of you!" I say with a calm voice even though inside I was burning up. "For tonight you may stay in my hut but if you leave I cannot promise any of you safety. Oh and don't think that it's just women who are in danger! The Boto Dolphins don't care about gender so I suggest if you don't want to get plugged by very strong men that you stay here."

"_They will stay in my hut tonight," _I relay to the Chief of the tribe. _"If they try to escape tonight kill them."_ I stormed off to gather herbs and spread them across the village doors watching as Bolivar was pacing around the edge of the village trying to quell his desire to run. I had never seen someone struggle so hard with their instincts and watching him made me smile. When I had finally gotten all of the houses checked I walked up to him touching his arm gently. _"Come, let us run."_

He seems to struggle for a few more seconds before he growls and breaks into a sprint into the forest with me right behind him feeling the mist start to fall as the world changed and the full moon rose higher into the night. I did this for myself too; Bolivar was a worthy Mate even though I didn't want one but I knew one day I'd have to take a new Mate if I wanted to continue my line. I wouldn't mind having a child that could Shift either so that Bolivar's clan could continue as well but I wasn't ready even after seven years I still thought of the sex I had had with my old Mate.

I followed him all the way out to the river watching as other men and women slipped out of the brush as well willing bodies for the God-like creatures. Many of the villages sent unmarried women and men out to Mate with the creatures on the full moon so that the Shifters could be carried on. I on the other hand was there for one particular male Shifter and every time this happened it only became part of my life more and more. I could see them all standing along the river their various appearances dissolving away as they stretched up to their original forms on tall, alien figures with bone white skin that was flawless and long pallid hair that swayed as they walked.

I watched in awe just as the other humans did until Bolivar turned to look straight at me. Even though they all looked a lot alike I could tell him out of the crowd and as he laid his eyes on me he walked over to me his loincloth long gone to show him in his full nude glory. I stepped up to him knowing my place in the ritual like all the other humans that had come out to share in my experience.

His hand reached out but at the exact moment he would touch me I turned and bolted into the forest beginning the chase that always happened. I could hear the other humans doing the same though some were frightened; I was only fulfilling my duty to be the perfect Mate. They wanted to hunt down their prey you had to make sure they fought for their right to bed you and that's what they wanted. I found myself bursting through the forest on lithe legs; the perfect hunt as I wove within the confines of the forest knowing the land like the back of my hand.

I could feel his presence following close behind me as I started to feel sweat beading my body from the humid night air. Jumping over a log I found myself jumping right into the arms of the man hunting me. I yelped slightly caught up in his arms as his mouth descended on mine in a kiss so sweet it made me melt. His lips were soft and pliable but as I dangled within his grasp I bit down on his lower lip harshly making him jerk back away from me his grip slipping.

As soon as my feet touched the ground I sprang into action running to the right through a brush and low hanging branches that would surely smack him in the face. The harder I ran the more I wanted him to catch me because the more I go away from him the harder he'd catch me. I didn't want sweet tonight; I wanted something more. I wanted him to dominate me; I wanted him to show me that he wanted me more than anything else in the world. I wanted him to take me hard so that I would know who I belonged to.

I heard him before I saw him and darted to the left jumping up into the trees to hide better even though I knew he could navigate through the branches just as I could. I jumped to another tree daftly feeling the adrenaline pumping through my body as I finally felt him tackle me from behind. We fell from about fifty feet in the air but he landed lightly on his feet as if he were a cat and threw me to the ground pinning my smaller body under his. His voice was mystical and speaking in a language I had never heard before. It seemed to echo as he kept my body pinned his mouth exploring mine with new vigor; I moaned into it feeling as if I were finally getting what I wanted. I could feel his need pressing into my thighs sending sparks of raw lust through my body. Love didn't exist in the world of the wild; to procreate was the only thing that existed here and I wanted him.

Suddenly, the mouth was gone and I sat up to see the young Shifter lying unconscious at the trunk of a tree crumpled as if he were dead. I heard the ear shattering roar before I saw the ripples in the air and suddenly I was on my feet chasing after the large being that I couldn't see. I could hear the giant running through trees and brush; I could see the tell-tale ripples in the air. **"Wait!"**I shouted in my first language surprised that it came out so well seeing as I hadn't spoken in that language in so long. I fought through the branches and brush trying to keep the ripples in my sight but as I sprang through a large tropical tree I found myself having lost him.

Tears swelled in my eyes as I fell to my knees and let out a roar I hadn't let loose in so long. I felt it reverberate through my vocal chords just as I felt the air whip around me from the sky; I knew what it was even though I couldn't hear or see it flying above the canopy. I didn't need anyone to tell me that there were others here now. The Gods had returned after so many years after their disappearance. **"Seven years, seven years after you abandoned me! Stay away! I'm happy!"** I scream into the night falling into embarrassing sobs just as I sense Bolivar coming closer. I knew that after a knock on the head like that the hunt would have left his system but even if he did try to Mate with me I would have thrown him off or killed him.

* * *

I woke up suddenly at hearing the first blood chilling sound before I looked over to see Natasha and the men looking at me in surprise. I took a deep breath and was about to go outside when I heard another roar this one not as loud but I could hear the anger and anguish in it. "Are those Shifters?" I heard John whisper to the other men but I knew the truth. The heat in the Temple Weyland Industries had seen were the exact same reason why I had been sent to the arctic where I had encountered Scar.

"I wish," I said before I heard a commotion in the village.

"_Os Deuses da Morte estão sobre nós!" _I could hear Kanassa screaming in Portuguese then the commotion of the people as she threw back the cover of the hut staring at the four of us in turn. I could see that there was something changed in her face. "I will take you to the Temple. We wake at sun up!" her voice was harsh with a deep resonating growl that seemed to come from deep within her throat as if there was a second language starting to come through her perfect accent.


	2. Chapter 2

**Kanassa: Goddess of Fire**

**Summary: **Sequel to Dahdtoudi: The Servant Girl. Kanassa has settled into her life with the Tribe of Fire deep within the Amazon until Lex and Weyland Industries interrupt her. The Hunt has begun and she that their Temple is in danger of being overrun by something so sinister she can hardly contain herself.

**Rating:** MA

_For chapter: M_

**Warnings: **Hinting at Sexual situations; language

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Predator or any of the ideas from their culture that stem from the movies or the comics. However, I do own Kanassa and the underlying plot idea. Please do not steal.

Normal : English ; _Italics_ : Portuguese ; **Bold** : Yautja

* * *

I woke up suddenly at hearing the first blood chilling sound before I looked over to see Natasha and the men looking at me in surprise. I took a deep breath and was about to go outside when I heard another roar this one not as loud but I could hear the anger and anguish in it. "Are those Shifters?" I heard John whisper to the other men but I knew the truth. The heat in the Temple Weyland Industries had seen were the exact same reason why I had been sent to the arctic where I had encountered Scar.

"I wish," I said before I heard a commotion in the village.

"_Os Deuses da Morte estão sobre nós!" _I could hear Kanassa screaming in Portuguese then the commotion of the people as she threw back the cover of the hut staring at the four of us in turn. I could see that there was something changed in her face. "I will take you to the Temple. We leave at sun up!" her voice was harsh with a deep resonating growl that seemed to come from deep within her throat as if there was a second language starting to come through her perfect accent.

I was highly confused as to why the woman so suddenly changed her mind and jumped up to run after her not bothering with her old rules because they had obviously changed. I could practically feel the heat of her anger as I ran up to grab her shoulder. "Hey, tell me what's happening, Kanassa!" I demanded only to find the woman jerking around to growl in my face her rage completely unhidden. Her grey irises were burning with something so primal and ancient I was almost afraid to look into them because my fear might be reflected through them.

Then that's when she started to roar at me in a language that I hadn't heard in so many years I was almost afraid I had heard wrong but as the sound of growls, clicks, and guttural noises that should never be possible for a human drifted into my ears I jolted to a stop. I stood there shocked until she shut her mouth her own eyes widening at the sound of the strange language coming from her lips. I knew that language. It was a language I had heard back in the arctic; Scar's language. I saw the look in her eyes that said stand and fight but instead she turned away from me to continue her path.

"Stop, please, Kanassa. I know that language," I plead with her not worrying to follow after her. I knew that would be seen as a challenge to her; all of her mannerisms were exactly like Scar's of so many years ago. "A group of Predators came down to finish their right of passage in the arctic. I was there with my men. I was the only one to survive that attack with one of the three warriors. Please, it's haunted me."

She stopped to turn and look at me with wide eyes moving towards me as I reached up to brush off the make-up that covered the mark he had set on me that night. Her eyes widened as she touched it in awe shaking her head slightly. "You are one of them," she whispers staring into my eyes. "The mark of the Warrior. The completion of the Chiva. Congratulations. Very few humans are allowed to take up such a challenge."

Turning yet again she gestured for me to follow to another hut on the edge of the tree-line. She pushes away the drape to show me her weapon hoard. She had all of her most important weapons hung up. She pulled one down for me and I gasped. I had a staff just like that though hers was less decorated than mine. I touched it lightly admiring it only to hear her purr deep within her throat catching me off guard. I knew that Predators enjoyed when someone admired their catch but I was still shocked to hear a human do such a perfect rendition of the purr.

"Tell me your story," I whisper watching her sit down. I followed after her settling myself down on the pelts she had laid across the ground.

We sat there for about an hour while she spun her story of servitude, life, love, passion, naiveté, hunting, abandonment, and of rebirth. "The night of the explosion Ak'ta died and in her place came Kanassa. I am happy here but tonight I caught a glimpse of he who left me. I saw the outline of...Jaukteh. I saw him and I hunted after him but like always he eluded me," she completes her story pressing a hand to her forehead in an obvious headache at thinking such things.

"Why has the temple lit up?" I finally ask so curious I could just about faint. If an Elder like her lover was here than why was the temple heating up? If it wasn't a right of passage than why were they sending the best of the best? "If this male is an Elder..." Her look said it all. We were in deep shit.

"The only thing I can think of is that a human accidentally tripped the trigger to awaken the beasts. Now they will wait until they can smell humans and attack," she tells me giving a heavy sigh. "They're sending the Elders to clean up the mess; they will go to the deepest part of the Temple and destroy it from the inside out."

"What will happen to the surrounding villages?"

"It doesn't matter to them. Their objective is to clean up the mess they left centuries ago. If they let the Kainde Amedha roam this world than one of their hunting grounds will be lost forever. It's hard to accept for humans but it's the way Yautja's think," she tells me much to my horror and even though she said it nonchalantly I knew it was bugging her that the local tribesmen might be in danger. "That's why I'm taking you into that Temple."

"Wait, have you known all this time that there were those...things in there?" I asked actually frightened to hear the answer.

"Not completely. I had my assumptions but there is only one way to find out if those things fill my temple and that was to go trip the button and I didn't want to do that for obvious reasons. Now though…my answer is obvious as well. Those things were planted in that temple," she whispers more to herself than to me but I understood her meaning.

"Should I tell my men what we're up against?" the question had been bugging me for quite some time and I could see her face change with her thought but in the end I knew the answer. "No." She nodded slightly. "They should know what they're about to fight!"

She looked at me in a way that all but terrified me; her eyes were so full of that primal emotion I had seen earlier and as a human I was sure I would never understand that urge she was feeling. I couldn't even begin to describe what she was feeling because I had only seen it when I was faced with Scar so many years ago. It was beyond human; beyond anything humans could ever understand. This was beyond having a grudge it was having the ability to hate something so horribly you would kill them at the first sign of betrayal. "Weyland Corporation has no pity with me. You know what you're up against and that's all I need."

And that was the last of that. She stood up and turned at the door to the hut to stare at me with her unnerving eyes. "We leave at sun up. Have your men ready by then." Then she was gone leaving me with my thoughts.

* * *

"Kanassa!" a familiar voice calls as soon as I step out of the hut only to find a very worried, very primal Bolivar grabbing me by my arms. "What's going on?! What was that?!" he was practically shouting as I brushed his hands away from my exercise warmed skin. His blue eyes turned a slightly darker shade as he registered my emotions. "_It was him wasn't it_?" he asks in Portuguese so that others wouldn't understand us. I didn't have to say or do anything because he knew already what the answer to that question was.

I pushed past him to go to my hut to get dressed in my traditional armor. It was strange putting on my old armor and I gently touched the scratches and dents in it from my escape from that damned place of torture. A dented armor was an experienced warrior. I would show J'ak-te what I had become and that I had moved on from him no matter what he may think. I had moved past his memory; moved past the love I once held for him.

I gently laughed. Love, it was such a human concept because what I felt—had felt for J'ak-te hadn't been the human's equivalent of love. Yautja's did not love; they were primal creatures who took on mates by a deeper feeling. A feeling that they couldn't live without the other…I felt my chest clench as I looked at the mirror on my wall at what I looked like. I was so different from those many years ago. I had shorter hair yes but I could see the age in my eyes now whereas in my other form I had been naïve, complacent and happy with servitude. To say that now would offend Kanassa. I slipped my staff in its slot and took my remaining smart disks from the wall to place them on my belt before stepping out of my hut.

The instant the villagers saw me they went to their knees. I was no longer just their tribe protector: I was the Fire Goddess that had saved them so many years ago from the scientists and military officials. My heart fluttered when I spotted Bolivar coming towards me in his true form his eyes burning with pride so fierce I thought I might swoon. This look was so different from that of the other man in my past life that I felt myself smile.

He stopped a couple of feet away from me staring at me from his tall height. The villagers watched us in awe; I felt their anticipation at what would happen. They knew that something had gone wrong with this special night; no one needed to inform them and they knew that sometimes if a Shifter was refused his night than a fight would happen. The pure blue of his eyes haunted my soul and promised me so many things at once overload threatened to break me.

I covered the distance between us and grabbed him by the back of his neck to pull him down to my level. Our kiss was fierce, a fight for dominance, and he grabbed me possessively in a way so unique to his kind before I shoved him away with a smirk. _"Tonight, we hunt,"_ I whisper to him in the native language watching a smirk cross his face to show his sharper than normal canines. I could feel the Weyland researchers watching but I didn't care.

Together we let out two loud bellowing roars that shook the sleeping birds from their slumber and would make even the top of the food chain quiver in fear. I moved past him to stand in front of the Weyland lackeys before smirking. "The ones you are looking for have just arrived on Earth, which means your hypothesis was right. They are here to hunt the Xenomorphs so be ready," I tell them watching their hands wrap around their guns. Useless, I couldn't help thinking to myself. Guns would do nothing. They would run out of ammo and then they would be useless.

Lex on the other hand palmed her staff seeming to be nervous but I couldn't blame her for her nerves. It was a hard thing for a human to hunt something stronger and more advanced than they were. She was a brave warrior. I faced Lex and pounded my fist against my chest over my heart watching her smile and do the same. The men, of course, were confused (Bolivar excluded) but we gave each other two very confident smiles before I turned to the chief.

"_If I fail, forgive me. I will see you in the afterlife. Wait for me, friend,"_ I tell him placing a hand on his shoulder before he nodded his head. _"I will do all I can, I promise."_

"Let's go."

After traveling through the forest I could definitely tell a difference in the way the animals were acting. Even the mighty leopard seemed frightened and skittish. It made my skin crawl with terror and anticipation but I kept it hidden away for fear some creeping predator might smell it and hunt me as prey. I was not prey. I was a Leader; I was a Predator. I crouched low on the ground in front of a rather large tree noticing some blood spotted against the rough bark. It was definitely high velocity spatter as well.

Looking up I scanned the trees for any sign of strung up prey but found none. Of course not, J'ak-te was an elder; he wouldn't make such silly mistakes as leave obvious signs behind. I felt the ground under the tree for any signs of tracks but they had probably used the trees to travel like they usually did. "Bolivar, go into the canopy and see if you can find claw marks," I ordered and heard him go straight to climbing the tree in his primal form. He scaled up like a wild cat and I felt myself swell with pride. He was so beautiful in this form.

He dropped down a couple seconds later but was shaking his head. "Nothing."

I chew on the inside of my lip before moving forward. I had to find the Predators to find the Prey but they were proving to be very illusive. Then again I was hunting an Elder; a high ranking official. I moved through the brush and foliage as if I were one with the forest until I came to the edge of a clearing where I could practically smell the blood. I held out my hand to stop my followers before searching the clearing for any sign of struggle; I could see anything but I knew that there was something there. I could sense the imposing presence that was distinctly Yautja.

I motioned for them to stay before I slipped out of the foliage into the open keeping my steps easy going as if I didn't suspect another presence before going over to the carcass that was lying in the middle. It was only half way skinned so that meant they couldn't be far but I didn't show that as I leaned down to touch the blood. It wasn't warm but that didn't mean anything; a Yautja never left their trophy. I stood up and scanned the clearing until I passed a slight distortion in the air but kept turning as if I hadn't seen it. The form wasn't J'ak-te from what I could tell from my scan; they were not nearly tall enough to be my old lover but as I fell into the place I started I bent down to take out my sacred knife.

I could see the blur in my peripheral vision as I lowered my knife and took the already skinned part in my hand holding it high enough to show the hiding creature. What I was doing was considered more than rude; it was unacceptable behavior to a Yautja but I was no longer apart of their race. I sliced the skinned pelt: I ruined it.

A resounding roar pierced the air and I could feel the telltale vibrating of the ground under me but when I stood up I faced the Yautja I gave my own roar of anger. The creature faltered slightly at my obvious challenge but in the end kept charging at me. His bulk was impressive; he was more stalky than tall but I could see the outer rim of his muscles pulsing. He was a mere two feet away from me before I grabbed my combi-stick and extended it to its full length and charged at him. He tried to backtrack as he found the point of my staff aimed for his throat but he was too late. His hulking form fell to the ground as his large, clumsy feet flew from underneath his body. There was a rather loud thump as his body mass hit the ground.

I stood over him with my staff pointed at his throat smirking at the almost invisible man under me. I had my feet planted on either side of his waist and quickly smashed his left arm where I knew his technology was. He bit back a roar of outrage as he came into my vision fully. He was in full garb with his mask on down to his gladiator-esque shoes. I could tell he was young by how few scars he had and the fact that I could see the newly burnt mark on his helmet. He was almost a head shorter than J'ak-te and had dark grey molted skin with bright white and cream colored spots running across his arms and legs. He was growling steadily at me but I just smirked down at him. Unlike him, I was not wearing my mask. A mask would mean I was apart of their culture and I was no longer anything of the sort.

"**Welcome to my jungle, ****Lou-dte Kalei (Child Maker—Male insult)," **I said in his language not needing to see past the mask to know he was shocked. **"That's right; I can speak and understand your language! Now, if you'd be so kind as to inform me where I can find J'ak-te I'd be obliged to let you go without hurting you!" **I knew he was going to laugh so before he got a chance to take in the breath I smashed the hilt of my staff into his trachea. I made sure not to crush his wind-pipe just enough to let him know I was serious about everything I was talking about. **"Don't underestimate me."**

"**Pauk-de!"** he spat and I could practically hear the agony in his voice. I shrugged and stabbed my staff through his infraspinatus muscle in his shoulder. I didn't go all the way through but gave him a good puncture that would probably leave a scar. He let out a small roar that I wasn't satisfied with. He still wouldn't talk so this time I stabbed through one of the many appendages hanging from his scalp. That put a jolt in his body and he finally grabbed me by my thighs to knock me down but when he pulled up on his head he tore a huge hole through his appendage that I had yet to dislodge my staff out of. I twisted to make his harsh hands drop from my thighs.

"**Ak'ta, stop!"** a familiar voice rang out through the clearing making me stop and release the boy's appendage. Instead, I turned to look at the man I never thought I'd see again. He was just as tall if not a little more grey around the roots of his appendages but that didn't matter to me one bit. His mask was off and in his right hand, which hung down to his side in a neutral position. I gave the staff a small jerk before wrenched it from the youngling's appendage and turning to face my—Ak'ta's lover taking in the old form with slow, deliberate eyes. **"You know as well as I do that we need him for the extermination. Later, you may finish this,"** his said with a slight bit of morbid amusement in his voice.

I drew my eyes down the familiar form and I noticed his muscles bunch as if I had physically raked my nails down his tough hide. My eyes lingered for a few moments longer on the new scars than the other parts of him but other than those few here or there not much had changed. He had, as expected, aged fairly well for an Elder Yautja. I could see the spines on his face and crest of his forehead starting to become more prominent, which was a sign of wisdom in their culture more than a sign of weakness. I could tell that he had probably had many offers for Mates when he abandoned me.

He chuckled slightly and as if reading my thoughts (or perhaps I had made a fatal facial expression) he said, **"You know I would never take any offers after what I went through with you, Ak'ta."** I felt something inside curl at the tone he took with me; that same tone that said he was sincere and caring all at the same time. I knew that sparkle that fully lit up his eyes; I knew the way his body was standing. He didn't feel threatened by me at all! It made me want to laugh. How little he knew about the woman he had abandoned.

"**You say that and yet you still abandon me for seven years?!" **

You have no clue how long that one sentence had been boiling under my skin for seven years. I had dreamt of screaming it in his face for so long and had prepared myself for every type of expression imaginable. I had expected him to be angry with me, to be surprised, to laugh, to nod his head, but the one expression I hadn't prepared myself for was the absolute agony that took over his whole being. It wasn't just his face: It was his whole body. He seemed to erode into himself starting with his eyes and it worked into a deep, tense frown then slowly moved into his body. I almost cried out with how much his torment cut me. I felt as if he had ripped my heart right out of my chest.

"**How could you think that?!"** he practically shouts his mask dropping to the ground. He threw his hands out to the side in a very emphatic way of showing his deep regret. I almost believed him for a second before my mind shifted back to when I was trapped in that place and had to fight my way out by myself.

"**What else would I think, J'ak-te?! I was trapped, tortured, raped, and—"**

He had me up against a tree before I could even blink my breath coming out in one burst as my back collided with harsh bark. **"They did what?!"** his words were garbled and incoherent but I knew what he said. I kicked out with my legs to get him in the stomach but he anticipated my move and shoved his legs between mine and hiked me higher up on the tree. I let out a small gasp as my knees bent and I found myself in a position I really didn't want to be in at the moment.

Pure fire raced through my veins at the unfamiliar position, the unfamiliar person, and the unfamiliar feeling spreading through my body. I was so used to a smaller form between my legs that the broad hips pressing into my covered sex was so strange and alien to me I squirmed to get free. His mesh suit was pressing into my skin making my fight-or-flight response go wild. **"Let me go!"** I shouted right into his face only to stop when I saw the look in his eyes. He was in true agony at my words and I felt something break inside of my soul.

"**Ak'ta…I—"**

"Alright big guy put her down!"

"Bolivar, no!" I said as soon as the Shifter had jumped out of the bushes followed closely by the humans who had their guns at the ready. Bolivar had his spear pointed straight at the back of J'ak-te's head in a dangerous challenge that he did not understand. "It's okay! Really, now put your weapon down before the other guy decides to join! _Por favor_." He slowly lowered his weapon and stepped back so that J'ak-te could lower me, gently, to the ground his hands wandering a bit too long on my waist before he pulled away all together. **"We are all here for the same reason. You do not have to lead me into the temple but I will go regardless."**

"**I did not expect anything less of you, Da'dtou-di, and I will not let you go alone. I will not leave you again,"** he whispers as if someone might overhear him but he knew as well as I did that his companion could understand everything and the humans and Shifter did not know his language.

"**Do not make promises you could not keep the first time you uttered them.** Let's go," I say gesturing towards my group who fell in line with J'ak-te and his youngling who was watching me with curiosity at how J'ak-te had reacted. This must be the Elder's Apprentice; he appeared to be of a very strong family and I could feel him glance over at me every few minutes. **"My name is Kanassa."** He jumps when I speak to him as if startled that I would even think of addressing him.

He looks to J'ak-te who is also surprised but he is surprised out of my new name not that I spoke to his youngling. The Elder gave his approval through a nod before the young man spoke. **"I am Ha'alum. I am honored to meet my Master's Mate," **he says very politely, which, needless to say, takes me by surprise. I was pleasantly surprised that the young man was well versed for younglings are usually brass, hard-headed, arrogant, and obnoxious but this young man was not. He seemed composed, calm, and tranquil if not a bit mature for his age.

"**Ha'alum, very nice name for such a polite young man and I am honored to meet you as well though I am no longer your Master's Mate. Not for a long time have I been such,"** I tell him sensing the tensing in my old lover's body. This was a heavy disrespect to say such a thing in front of a pupil and I could tell Ha'alum knew this as well for he seemed suddenly uncomfortable. "Everyone, this is Ha'alum and J'ak-te. They will be our companions for the time being."

* * *

I have to admit that as soon as Kanassa stepped away from the bushes holding my comrades and me, I felt a bit overwhelmed by what was happening. I had gone hunting for this hadn't I though? I watched her go with confidence I don't think I've ever seen in a woman walking into enemy territory. She was cautious though and I knew that she was keeping a close eye on not only herself but our group as well. The Shifter, Bolivar, was nervous as he lay flat on his stomach peaking through the brush with concentrating eyes.

So much had happened since the last time I had seen the all too familiar race but when I finally felt the charge through the ground I could feel my skin prickle with nerves. I felt it run across my neck and down my spine as if someone was running a cold, wet finger down my back. The hairs stood on end but Kanassa was well prepared to handle the warrior as she floored him. She efficiently destroyed the device that kept them invisible, or semi-so, and revealed the creature's true identity.

I felt my stomach clench as the creature was uncloaked. He was a dark grey coloring with beautiful creamy spots on his arms and legs as it was natural for this race to bear. The men beside me gasped softly at the sight of the creature and they kept their guns at the ready. Only I knew that it was futile in the long run. This creature knew there were more of us sitting in the bushes; he knew that there were guns in the hands of those hiding in the brush. How I knew this, I wasn't sure, but I had a pretty good idea that I was right.

The language she was shouting in was almost as brutal as her quick hand and I could continually hear the name she had mentioned earlier (Jacktea or something like that). She was harsh with the creature but at the same time I could tell she was holding back; she knew we would need this creature to help us with our task. She was just stating her dominance over him and I had a feeling this was culturally correct for them. Now, I had never seen a female of their race before but I took a wild guess that while the men were away to hunt or wage war or whatever the women were on their home planet keeping the families and children safe from invading forces. So, by that logic I could guess the women were just as strong as the men. I knew from the fact that Scar had not killed me before I had pulled a gun that this race had a deep seated respect for females but for what reason I could not tell.

I'm guessing the second creature was the man she had been shouting for. It was strange to see one of their kind without his mask on but looking at him I knew he was showing her a sign of respect. He wanted to see her with his bare eyes and by his stance I guessed he wasn't threatened by her, which was strange. If I were faced with a woman who was not only scorned but also pissed off than I would be terrified especially if that woman had just taken down my comrade that, needless to say, was much bigger than her.

More shouting in their language until something was said that made them both pause. The tension was palpable and I felt it rush up my skin making my hair stand on end again. I knew that I was no expert on the Predators' facial expressions but by looking at the male I could tell he was…hurt? I'm sure it was pure unadulterated pain and agony that crossed his strange, alien face. What had she said to make such a dominant creature feel so much emotion!? I was shocked and continued to gaze at the creature trying to figure out what she had said.

"Woah," I gasp when just as suddenly as they had been standing there they were now on the other side of the clearing with Kanassa pressed against a tree. It was quite provocative and I felt Bolivar tense up beside me but he didn't move. He knew this was her fight and he would only interfere if he thought she was losing or in danger and obviously the creature's reaction had been that of surprise more than anger. Sure, there was anger in his brutal words but he seemed more hurt.

A few more minutes of this and Bolivar was suddenly gone. "Ah! Wait!" I whispered standing up to follow Bolivar out of the brush shocked to see the other creature standing and on his guard now that we had revealed ourselves. I felt suddenly vulnerable in the clearing staring down two large creatures with only my staff given to me by an Elder.

"Alright big guy put her down!" his words were harsh and spat out in a whole array of contempt but the creature merely glanced over his shoulder at the Shifter. The other creature was looking back and forth between his companion and our group with a tilt in his head that could only be curiosity. I actually found it quite endearing to see such a large creature interested in something as simple as a band of humans.

"Bolivar, no!" Kanassa shouted at the man who now had the point of his spear positioned behind the large creature's head dangerously. I tensed up sensing that this was some sort of taboo challenge of some kind by the way Kanassa was acting and the way the other creature had tensed up as well. "It's okay! Really, now put your weapon down before the other guy decides to join! _Por favor_." He finally did lower his weapon just as the creature lowered Kanassa down to the ground in a tender manner that made me tilt my head slightly. He was taking good care of her and it seemed that he still cared.

We set off through the forest with Kanassa and the two creatures in the front, the Shifter close behind with me beside him and my men behind us. They were speaking their language together and I suddenly wished I could speak it so I could understand what they were talking about.

"Everyone, this is Hahalum and Jackteh. They will be our companions for the time being."

The names were so strange to me so I just decided to call the smaller one Hala and the larger one Jack because honestly I didn't know what the implication of mispronouncing a name wrong would be. I just wanted to get through this alive like I had the last time and perhaps learn a few things along the way. I couldn't help but look at the smaller of the two males in front of me because his skin was so…pretty, for lack of a better word. He was shorter than the other male but at the same time he had more muscle build and there were a few trinkets wound into his 'hair' that were obviously the signs of past hunts. He also had a belt hanging front his waist covered in skulls, finger bones, random bones, teeth, and other such things that I was fascinated by. How had he gotten them? Again, I wished suddenly I could understand his language so we could communicate.

"We'll stop here for water and rest. You have ten minutes," Kanassa said as we set our things down at a small cave with a small pond and waterfall in it. It was quite pretty and I needed to fill my water canteen. Walking over to the pond I reached out my canteen to the waterfall to get the fresh water but it was slightly out of my reach. I had to stretch just a bit but I soon found myself losing balance and quickly tumbling towards the shallow pond. This was going to hurt, was the only thing I could think.

A deep purring interrupted my thoughts as I felt a hand wrap around my waist and pull me away from my painful fall into a broad, masculine chest. I glanced up to see Hala standing behind me with his mask off tilting his head in a blatant show of curiosity. "T-Thank you, Hala," I say softly not even realizing I had used his nickname. He gives a kind of…smile(?) as he takes my canteen from me and reaches out to fill it for me. He hands it back and fills the other (probably Kanassa's) canteen without moving from his position behind me. He also keeps his large hand on my stomach, which was making me feel a little embarrassed.

Finally, he steps back but does not move to return the canteen to its rightful owner. Instead, he stands there and stares at me as if he expects me to say something. "Uh…I'm Lex," I say after a few moments of awkward silence but it seemed to be the correct thing to say as he nods his head and growls out what sounds like my name in his strange accent.

"He said it's a pretty name." I glance up at Kanass as she takes her canteen from the tall creature smiling at me in a knowing way. He speaks to Kanassa again, which she quickly translates for me. "He also says that he likes the nickname you gave him. What does it mean?" she translates her eyes full of knowing humor but I ignore it.

"It's Arabic for 'halo around the moon'," I say slightly knowing it was kind of weird for me to know something like that but still I couldn't help that I knew random little facts. She relays the message back to the tall male who gives a deep purr. I'm guessing that was his approval of my name for him; I wasn't going to mention it was usually a girl's name. I thought it suit him though because he was obviously very masculine and didn't need to worry about his manhood.

"He likes it and he says you're welcome."

I watch as the two walk back to Jack together holding my canteen in my hands tightly. Hala glanced back at me with his eyes; they were beautiful. He had one dark, mossy green eye and the other was bright gold. He also had a chipped mandible talon on his face along with a scar under his right eye. How I hadn't noticed these things while we were 'communicating', if you can call it that, I'll never know but I noticed them now and the more I watched him the more fascinated I became and the more my heart seemed to pound.


	3. Chapter 3

**Kanassa: Goddess of Fire**

**Summary: **Sequel to Dahdtoudi: The Servant Girl. Kanassa has settled into her life with the Tribe of Fire deep within the Amazon until Lex and Weyland Industries interrupt her. The Hunt has begun and she that their Temple is in danger of being overrun by something so sinister she can hardly contain herself.

**Rating:** MA

_For chapter: M_

**Warnings: **Hinting at Sexual situations; language

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Predator or any of the ideas from their culture that stem from the movies or the comics. However, I do own Kanassa and the underlying plot idea. Please do not steal.

Normal : English ; _Italics_ : Portuguese ; **Bold** : Yautja

* * *

We soon set out on our journey again but Bolivar and Hala had switched positions. Bolivar and Jack were flanking Kanassa, which was slightly amusing to see, and Hala was at my side. The language barrier was so frustrating for me but every now and then he would glance my way though he had his mask on. I could see him out of my peripheral turn his head my way every so often. Johnny had also taken up flanking me as if he were nervous about Hala, which was understandable. The men were tense about the two creatures that had joined our group but if they found out we were from a company that had some of their paraphernalia they would probably attack us.

We were going at a quick pace but we soon stopped yet again. How far was this temple? I sat down on a log to rest my legs noticing that Hala had disappeared sometime between when we had stopped and when I had sat down but I shrugged. He was a big boy; he could take care of himself. Johnny sat down beside me and sighed deeply in relief to be off his aching feet. Bolivar and Jack were hovering around an irritated Kanassa who seemed like the kind of woman who would look down on clingy men. It was amusing to say the least.

"You don't seem too nervous around the big guys," Johnny suddenly speaks making me look at him. He didn't know about my encounter with this race before so he couldn't understand why I didn't feel threatened by their hulking forms.

I shrugged. "They're here to help us for the moment. We need them to show us through this so I guess I know they won't harm us," I replied hearing a crunch of foliage behind me before I turned to see Hala standing there behind us. Johnny instinctively tensed but I looked up at the giant male curiously. He gave a soft clicking noise before crouching behind me to hold out something in his hand. I looked down to see a necklace with a sharp canine tooth hanging from it.

I glanced at Hala who tilted his head curiously before I reached my hand out to take the necklace to examine it. "For me?" I asked, which he seemed to understand and nodded his head. I ran a finger across the smooth tooth and reached up to tie it around my neck letting it fall across the front of my shirt.

Hala burst out into a chorus of purring that startled me and my companion beside me. I also noticed Kanassa and Jack were looking over at us with strange expressions on their faces. Hala reached out to run a hand across my cheek where my mark was and I suddenly understood. He hadn't just given me a gift; this was something much more significant than a gift. I couldn't quite give it a name but I understood as he touched the scar on his mask which was more of a 'V' shape than my 'T' shaped one.

"Thank you, Hala," I said not exactly sure I was ready for what I had just acknowledged to this young male but I wasn't going to give it back now. I would have to cross that bridge when this was all over but for now I would just settle for accepting his gift.

We started yet again after another five minutes of which Hala sat down beside me and messed with that thing on his arm but I knew he was keeping a close eye on Johnny who was oblivious of what had just happened between the creature and me. And as we walked it seemed that Hala got closer to where sometimes our arms would brush and I could feel the heat coming off of his mesh suit. It was a little unnerving but it wasn't at all unpleasant.

It had been years since Scar had died in front of me but since that struggle in the artic I hadn't dated anyone. I hadn't even thought about dating anyone. I had plenty of offers but there was no one that ever struck my fancy and it was a little strange because even the guys that were my type who approached me didn't excite me like they used to before the incident. The fact that Hala was making my heart flutter was slightly unnerving. Johnny seemed to sense this because he too was getting way too close for comfort and keeping an eye on the creature that was doing the same to him.

It was slowly starting to get dark but soon we broke through the trees to stand in front of a large temple that for obvious reasons was more threatening when you knew what was inside. I wondered if the creatures were outside already but the tall creatures and Kanassa didn't look nervous so I decided they hadn't gotten out yet. Perhaps it was locked to everyone but those who knew how to get in when it was in lockdown.

"Pitch camp and get some rest. At sun up we'll start our hunt," Kanassa said setting down her weapons on the ground to make her bed. I guessed she was going to sleep under the stars and I set my backpack down on the ground to get out my small tent. My group was doing the same thing and I saw that the creatures and Bolivar were following Kanassa's lead in making their beds on the ground for the night. Well, Bolivar just shifted into a jungle cat, which was amazing to watch, and curled up on the ground next to Kanassa.

Hala was busy making a fire that we quickly circled around even though the night was balmy. Jack had disappeared somewhere while I was pitching my tent and as soon as the fire was lit Hala was gone as well. I shrugged and thought that they were just going out to find us something to eat, which was the correct assumption because they came back soon after with a couple large fish and some kind of monkey. I had never eaten monkey before but as soon as they started to cook the animals the smell made my stomach come to life, which I'm pretty sure Hala was acutely aware of because as soon as he was done cooking his fish the first person who got a helping was me.

I tore into the fish without a second thought, which created a lot of noise from my companion who seemed extremely happy that I was eating so heartily. Alright, so I was hungry but that didn't seem like a reason to celebrate. And only when I was satisfied did he allow my men to eat the rest of the fish. What a strange male. Just when I thought I understood him a little more he went and did something so outright non-human that I couldn't believe I was on the receiving end.

"Lex." I looked up after I was done to see Kanassa standing above me. She gestured for me to stand up and I did following her as she walked into the forest. She was silent for a long time glancing back behind us a couple of times to make sure the boys weren't following us. When she felt that a sufficient amount of distance was between us and the camp she came to a stop.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked her slightly nervous at the sudden hike in the forest. She placed a hand on a dangling heaping of vines before pushing them aside to show the Amazon River stretched out before us. It was a small bank area that was obviously not used to humans and the perfect seclusion to speak in private.

"We're going to split up once we get inside the temple," she finally spoke up her voice suddenly accent with that underlying growl of a language. It was strange to hear coming from the tall lean woman. "You, Johnny, and David will go with Hala. I will take John with Bolivar, Jakteh, and myself. This way we can cover more ground with more efficiency and Hala is a great warrior. He is new but he is very well trained. He will keep you safe; your men will have to fair on their own."

I couldn't quite decipher what she was getting at but I had a feeling she didn't expect my men to come out of the temple alive. "What do you mean Hala will protect me?" I ask feeling the skin on the back of my neck prickle with nerves. It hadn't really hit me until now what I was getting myself into. You would think my last encounter with those monsters would have taught me. Though, along with the nerves came this boiling, fluttering feeling in my stomach. I was excited to go back into another situation like the one in the artic!

She smiled slightly and pointed to my necklace. "You accepted his gift. You are now considered his Mate. I figured you would not understand what taking the gift would mean but—"

I looked at the tooth and smiled slightly. "No, I kind of figured that's what the gift meant. I guess I don't see myself coming out of this alive just yet. We'll just have to see how he performs before I decide how to accept this gift completely," I chuckle softly watching for her reaction. She smiles and nods her head patting me on the back.

"You are more Yautja then you are human, Lex," she tells me before heading back to the camp.

* * *

Everyone went to sleep quickly but for some reason I couldn't sleep. It was so strange sleeping under the stars with Bolivar curled up next to me in his feline form and J'ak-te on the other side his back up against a tree trunk. I knew he was sleeping by the sound of his even breathing and the way he wasn't moving at all. Even still I knew he would jump up in a second if even one strange noise was heard. Had I known I would be in this situation seven years ago I probably would have been in denial.

Then again, it took a couple of years for it to set in that J'ak-te wasn't coming back and now here he was sleeping next to me as if nothing had ever happened. But something did happen and even though he swears he didn't abandon me…what was I to believe? I had lived so many years here on Earth with my tribe being their protector and human Goddess. I had forced myself to go through the past seven years working my hands and muscles until they gave out from the effort. I worked so hard for my tribesmen and women. Bolivar had been there since the day he and the rest of the tribe had helped me break away from my capturers and torturers. Bolivar had been there through it all; he had never abandoned me and even accepted me into his life as a Mate. J'ak-te hadn't.

He claimed there was a good reason…would it be good enough for me though?

I wanted to say that it wouldn't because I loved Bolivar but in all honesty…I knew that there were still small feelings there for the Yautja male lying beside me. I knew that if he called for me in just the right way I would not be able to deny him. I would fall right into his arms like before. I didn't want to admit this and I would never tell Bolivar but this was all true. I still loved J'ak-te. He was my freedom from a lifetime of slavery; his betrayal had lead to my strength. He had made me who I was today.

* * *

The morning came quickly but I had gotten more then enough sleep to regain my energy and as I sat up I saw that the two Yautja's were gone. They had probably went out to get some more food for us; they were doing it for Lex and myself not for the other men but they knew that if they didn't bring enough they would get reprimanded. I would go out and get some myself if they came back with too little food; J'ak-te would never let me though. In his eyes I was still weak and small like the first time he had laid eyes on me. I was no longer that small, weak girl he once knew.

Bolivar was stirring next to me and I watched Lex step out of her tent and stretch her arms up to the sky. She was made completely of muscle and I could see why the young blood would be attracted to her. J'ak-te had told me aboutHa'alum. He was the runt of his brood; he was so small and short statured that his age group had made fun of him. He came from a prominent family but with his small build no one thought he would made it as a warrior; he had and he had gotten an Elder to train him at that. J'ak-te was so proud of Ha'alum. It was pretty obvious in the way the older male watched the boy proudly.

It made my heart ache. Ha'alum was probably ridiculed by female on the home planet because of his small size but when I saw Lex look at the small Yautja I saw what she felt. Lex was enamored by the small Warrior. I could also see the emotions in Ha'alum's eyes when he looked at Lex. He had never met anyone like her on his planet. She didn't care about how big his muscles were or how tall he was; to Lex he was the manliest, strongest being she had ever met. He didn't know what to do with all of the attention she gave him. He had never been so admired before.

Lex went about waking up her men before she sat down to sharpen her combi-stick nervously. I could practically smell the fear leaking off of her; she didn't think she was going to come out of this alive. It was probably a good thing she wasn't cocky; this meant that she expected the worst but she at least knew what she was getting into. She had the best chance out of her group to survive. I didn't see any of her men getting out alive. No, I actually was quite hopeful that they would die in battle; sure, it was too good for them but at least they would be gone from this world.

I could sense the two Yautja's before I could see them but as they de-cloaked they sat down their catch near the dead fire. Ha'alum set to getting the fire going while J'ak-te started to prepare the fish they had caught. They had quite the catch but I knew the ritual; we were to eat as much as we could and smoke the rest so that we would have some food while we were in the temple. Fish was a good source of protein and carbs to keep us going through the whole ordeal without us needing to stop to eat every couple of hours.

Ha'alum kept near Lex the whole time he was messing with the fire but she let him obviously finding it amusing to have someone so interested in her wellbeing. She kept glancing at him every couple of seconds but even though he didn't have a mask on she didn't seem alarmed or nervous at his mandibles or maul. She actually seemed quite interested in the way he looked. Ha'alum would also glance over at the woman but his glances wouldn't falter when she looked over at him. He would stare into her eyes until she looked away; her men didn't seem at all comfortable with this.

The fish was cooked and we all ate in silence; everyone mentally preparing themselves for what they were to encounter in the temple. I was ready; I had never been so ready in my entire life. In the human world I was considered middle-aged but in my mind I was at my prime. I would take on anything right then and I would; I would take on the biggest threat of my life. I would be taking on the ultimate prey in an hour; I would be doing the Chiva.

I finished first and waited for the others to finish up as well before standing. "Alright, let us begin the hunt," I said seriously. "J'ak-te, John, Bolivar and myself will be forming a group; the rest will stay with Ha'alum. I'm sure we will find two separate paths in the temple." My voice was grave and completely stone cold. I knew what I was dealing with; the other humans might not but I did and I was taking this seriously. "Come on."

I got all of my weapons onto my back and watched as the Yautja's readied theirs as well. I watched the humans fix their guns and saw Lex carefully tuck her combi-stick into the holster on her back before she went to stand next to Ha'alum who was ready by the time she came to stand by his side. He seemed completely focused on Lex but at the same time wasn't deterred from his primary goal. I kind of liked the way he seemed to lean in to the human as if nothing else in the world mattered but her safety and survival.

I waited until everyone was ready before I took the lead with J'ak-te at my side, John behind me and Bolivar right behind him. The other group was lead by Ha'alum and Lex with the others following in their path like human ducklings. I ignored everyone else as I came up to the temple careful to watch my step for any booby traps as we started up the long staircase that lead to the entrance. It was closed, thankfully, but I knew where the secret button was to open it up. This was my village's temple after all but I still made sure to be careful just incase there was another button that did something I didn't want to happen.

My hand pressed inward as I found the hidden hatch and the stone wall before us slowly moved to the side without so much as a creek. Whatever had made this temple had done a great job of making it accessible to the Yautja; if this were a true hunt the door wouldn't alert the monsters inside that there was someone coming. I took out my combi-stick to hold it at the ready as we dove right into the temple eagerly; I was ready for anything but it was as quiet as death inside and nothing moved.

I held up my hand to wave for the others to come in after me allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness that was broken only by the lit torches on the walls. This was how we knew that the temple had been activated; once the button was tripped then the temple heated up with torches lit by sparks and the undergrounds were fired up to thaw the Queen Xenomorph. This wasn't a false alarm but then again it wouldn't be if J'ak-te was here with me.

The sounds that came from the torches were soft but obvious as we trekked through the dusty, unused temple. The hallway seemed never ending and the carvings inside were obviously not human; they depicted grand battles and victorious warriors all along their walls. I would have stared in awe at the markings had there not been an imminent danger present in the near future but still nothing moved as far as we could tell.

J'ak-te tapped my shoulder suddenly making me turn to look at his mask-covered face. He pointed toward the ceiling of the temple and as I looked up I noticed that it was way too low for normal Yautja architecture. Usually, the ceilings would be high to give the prey a bit of running room but this temple was very different; the low ceilings posed a greater advantage for the hunter when it should create challenge for them. Something wasn't right about this temple.

We kept moving forward up until we came to the obvious fork in our path that I had been expecting. Both would end up in the same place, the Queen's chambers, but they each took different paths to getting there; both would be dangerous. I looked up at J'ak-te for some kind of sign as to what path we should take but he was looking down at me just as expectantly. I tilted my head slightly before looking at Bolivar as well.

"This one smells oddly. I think we should go this way," he spoke up a bit more helpfully as he points down one path. I look down that way with my eyes but sigh and pull my mask off of my belt to press it to my face. J'ak-te wanted me to have to use my mask; he probably thought it would make me remember the past but instead it made me feel sick. It pumped Nitrogen-rich air into my system but it didn't make me throw up like I had thought it would after all this time in a very different atmosphere.

I changed my visions to check them all but when I checked the one that would detect Xenomorph signatures the one that Bolivar wanted us to go down was covered in the beasts' filth. "You're right," I said through the mask as my plasma-caster came to life with my sudden brain activity. "My team goes down this hall." I look to the other group seeing them as black blobs in my new vision. The other team would be going down the less covered hallway just to make it easier for them. Ha'alum would take good care of them. **"Ha'alum, your team will go down that path."**

With that I started down my path leaving behind the other humans and their two warrior leaders. J'ak-te followed closely behind me with his caster down to limit the light in the hallway. I checked upwards to see that the ceiling was getting higher the deeper we went into the belly of the temple; this was where the monsters would hide. We were getting closer to the hunt; I could smell them through my mask that seemed to amplify their stench to give me a bigger advantage over them.

We slipped down the path silently but nothing came out way. I looked back to J'ak-te but he shook his head; he was obviously as curious as I was. I stopped looking around the path that was obviously getting wider and higher with each step we took but when I cast my vision around the area there wasn't a single Xenomorph in the area. I couldn't find a single one of the bastards…

That's when it hit me.

"Shit!" I cursed in English as I faced the other three. "They knew we'd split up so they marked this hallway to get the weaker of the group herded away! How did they get so smart?" I was beyond angry at myself.

"**Please, Ha'alum can take care of himself,"** J'ak-te states confidently as he checked with the computer on his wrist.

The next thing I hear is a human scream echoing through the stone corridor. "It's not Ha'alum I'm worried about."

* * *

I could feel my heart pounding as we split up from Kanassa's group but I knew that she had chosen the more dangerous route because of the group being mostly human. I was kind of flattered but at the same time insulted that she would do that because we were human; then again my team needed all the help they could get. Of course, I didn't mind all that much; I knew I'd see some action sooner or later but since we were taking this route instead of the other one it would be a bit later when I could get used to my surroundings.

We hadn't gotten very far before Hala stopped and held out his hand so that my chest ran right into it to stop me as well. He seemed to crane his head up then back and forward again as if looking for something before he fiddled with his equipment. I felt the tension rolling off of his masculine body but I couldn't even begin to guess what he was so worried about.

"_Be ready,"_ an electronic voice said suddenly. It sounded like Kanassa's voice but it had obviously come from the creature standing beside me. _"It might be a trap."_ That's about the second it hit me; Kanassa had recorded directions in English into Hala's mask to make sure he would be able to translate with my group. She had obviously told him what each one meant in their language but it still amazed me that she had thought ahead to this moment. _"Let's go."_

I nodded my head and kept my staff at the ready as we pushed our way through the corridors that seemed to head straight into nothingness. It just went straight but about half an hour into the tunnels I realized it was starting to slope downwards. We were heading deeper into the Earth towards the center chamber; at least, that was my guess anyways. I thought it was a little weird that if we were heading straight down then the other chamber had been more populated or at least more dangerous.

A scream erupted from behind and I turned around to see Johnny under the creature from my nightmares and this time it wasn't a nightmare. This was real but for some reason I was frozen to the spot in fear. Hala jumped into action right away though and threw himself at the monster adequately shoving it away from my teammate. "Lex!" Hala growls in his heavy accented tone snapping me out of my fear so that I could pick Johnny up from the ground.

"What is that thing?" Johnny shouts speaking the thoughts of my other men as well.

"This is what we came to find!" I growl darkly as I suddenly hear the chorus of hissing that was suddenly echoing through the stone corridor. "It is a trap! Damn it they're separating the herd!" I was so pissed off; I should have guessed this would be their mode of attack. They may be monsters but they were still animals deep down inside; of course they would take out the weakest before taking care of the real challenges and regretfully we had put all of the 'challenges' in the other corridor.

Hala was standing off with the first one to attack us but I could hear others all around us. "Circle up, protect each other's backs!" I command suddenly finding my strength when Hala's hand grabbed my upper arm. "It's okay, big guy! We'll get through this together!" My words probably sounded more confident then I felt at that moment but his hand squeezed for a second before he was completely focused on the fight. Suddenly, the language barrier didn't seem to matter; survival was the only thing that mattered at the moment and I suddenly found the will to fight.

The monster was a few feet away from Hala but as soon as it sprang into action Hala and myself were pushing out bodies towards it at rapid speed. I could feel his bulky figure beside me the whole time; the heat radiating off of his mesh suit as I pushed myself into harm's way to prove a point. I had to fight back; I had to protect my world from these creatures. Even if no one believed in me but Hala that was all that seemed to matter; I wanted to prove something. I wasn't sure what that something was but I knew I needed to prove it somehow.

I could hear a war-like battle cry fly from my throat and felt it reverberate through the cavern-like hallway just as my staff made contact with the monster's huge cylindrical skull. It jerked back as if shocked that such a small creature could actually cause pain but then Hala was upon the creature and it backed away quickly. I went to join the fight right about the time when something plowed right into my back knocking me to the ground. Somehow, I managed to turn around to face my attacker when I hit the hard stone ground shoving my staff out to keep the monster away.

Instead of a monster though, I found the dead eyes of Johnny staring down at me. I was stunned for a couple of seconds before I heard the hissing and the head of one of the monsters emerge from around the back of the dead body on top of me. I felt my eyes widen before I started to struggle to get out from under the corpse that had been thrown on top of me. The creature seemed to enjoy watching me struggle for my life until I finally got my staff free and plunged the tip of my staff straight into the tender skin of its belly. The screech that issued from the creature was deafening but I had to get away from the blood as it dripped down onto Johnny's cadaver.

The sizzle of melting flesh and bone could be heard just as I pushed out from under Johnny. I wiped my staff off as quickly as I could but the steel was made from durable metal that could obviously withstand the acid blood. I stabbed the monster again just in case it decided it didn't want to die just then before I glanced around to look for my other men. All of them were dead. I hadn't heard any gunshots! Why hadn't they attacked but that's when I saw their guns lying to the side in a useless pile; most of them were half melted away. Some of the guns were still sizzling with green blood. Damn things were smart. They must have allowed themselves to get hurt by their Queen before they came out to hunt us so that they could get rid of the weapons.

I growled but as soon as I started looking for Hala he was instantly by my side purring and clicking eagerly. With a smile I laughed at his worrying. "Nothing broken," I tell him with a pat to his arm. He stops clicking and a chorus of purrs issue from the giant creature. "What's wrong?" I ask thinking I had said something wrong. Instead, he runs a hand over my hair and leans his forehead against mine so that I could feel the warm metal of his mask pressed against my skin. "I'm glad you're okay, too."


	4. Chapter 4

**Kanassa: Goddess of Fire**

**Summary: **Sequel to Dahdtoudi: The Servant Girl. Kanassa has settled into her life with the Tribe of Fire deep within the Amazon until Lex and Weyland Industries interrupt her. The Hunt has begun and she that their Temple is in danger of being overrun by something so sinister she can hardly contain herself.

**Rating:** MA

_For chapter: M_

**Warnings: **Hinting at Sexual situations

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Predator or any of the ideas from their culture that stem from the movies or the comics. However, I do own Kanassa and the underlying plot idea. Please do not steal.

Normal : English ; _Italics_ : Portuguese ; **Bold** : Yautja

* * *

I waited for the sounds of battle to end before I gave a shake of my head. "Let's keep going," I state a little hesitant to continue but if Ha'alum and Lex couldn't take care of themselves then they were just distractions. I saw the human's head snap around as if he wanted to turn back but he followed us anyways seeing that his chances of survival were much higher with our group then alone. They would pick off the weakest first then go for the challenges but they had probably figured out by now that there were strong players in each group. I smirked because I knew Ha'alum and Lex were still alive; I wasn't sure how I knew but my gut told me they had survived.

We walked down the never ending hall before I heard the first soft hiss. I stopped the group with a raised hand looking around slowly then up into the high ceiling. "Circle up…back to back," I say in English knowing J'ak-te could understand me. We all pressed our backs to each other my back against J'ak-te's with Bolivar and the other human to each side of me. We had our weapons drawn as I watched for any sign of the creatures. "Keep your eyes sharp."

I heard a quick intake of air next to me from the only other human in the group and moved my head ever so slightly so that I could see the creature out of my peripheral vision. It was hunched over staring at the human who was nearly shivering with outright fear, which made me smirk. Even without fighting us the creatures knew by our body language who the weakest link was in the group; they were smarter then I had originally given them credit for. I would not underestimate them.

I smirked as I saw another creature slowly slip from the ceiling to stand in front of me. They would pick off the weakest of us first; I knew they were just trying to scare us into breaking our formation. I wouldn't be tricked so easily; the Amazon predators did the same thing with their hunts. I had lived in this dangerous forest for nearly a decade; I knew how to survive with only one weapon and no armor. Here, I had several weapons and was wearing very special armor crafted especially for my body. This was nothing compared to the jungle.

The creature's muscles tensed sending a bolt of adrenaline coursing through my veins in preparation for the attack that was about to happen. The human beside me let out a yelp of surprise as all of the creatures attacked us. I knew we'd have to pick up the slack from the human when he fell but I was more worried about the ugly monster jumping at me with its talons bared and maul dripping with blood. These were obviously the scouts sent to die by the hands of the stronger warriors; they had already gotten the taste of human flesh from the looks of it as well.

I pushed myself into action going against my baser human instincts that told me to run away. I threw my arms out with my staff still in my hands to charge right into the creature, mid-jump, throwing it back against the corridor wall with my momentum. It crashed into the stone wall letting out a wail of pain before it dropped to the ground on all fours already charging me yet again. For creatures that were smart enough to weed out the weakest links they weren't all that smart when it came to battle tactics.

My legs bent at the knees to bare down into the floor as I pushed my arms out the beast catching on my staff as I used my leverage to throw the creature up over my head. It went straight into the ground skidding a few paces before I threw myself into the downed monster stabbing it through the skull with my staff. It gargled a last roar before dying with a soft hiss. I smirked down at the thing right as I heard another distinctive hiss behind me.

The creature that the human had taken on was now gorging itself on the poor soldier's innards looking up at me only when I stepped forward. My feet were spread out to my shoulder width my staff dripping with the acrid blood that couldn't melt my weapon. The monster stepped away from the dead body slinking to the left a bit as if trying to circle around me. I followed its motions making sure to keep my eyes and ears peeled for any other creature that might try to join in the fight.

A roar was released by the Yautja behind me as a monster was thrown across my vision into the far wall. I used this distraction to rush the creature slicing through the tail with the tip of my blade. Like a decapitated snake the severed tail flailed around uselessly before dying completely as I turned to toss my staff through the neck of the monster. It screeched out in pain as it was pinned to the wall. It writhed in pain for a few seconds before it finally fell limp.

Casting my eyes around the hallway I found that there were four other creatures dead around me other then the two I had killed. J'ak-te was already staring down at his kill enviously but I knew he wasn't here to take trophies. He was here to eradicate the pests that had accidentally been released. Instead, he twisted off a talon and turned to me his purrs filling the hallway effortlessly; I could feel my heart racing inside my chest as he walked forward with the claw.

Did I want to be marked a warrior? This would mean that I was one of them and I accepted their culture. This was their highest honor but did I want to admit that I was one of them? I felt my breath leave my chest as the acid blood made contact and scarred the mark into my forehead. I let him mark me before I touched the cauterized scars feeling the pride rush through me unexpectedly. I was a warrior. This was what I had always wanted to be.

"**Now I am worthy,"** I said in Yautja softly with a sad smile. Had things been different…I would have accepted this and J'ak-te and I would be 'celebrating' my triumph. Things were different now, though. I was no longer his lover; he was no longer my hero. He had abandoned me on this backwater planet so many years ago and showed up only when he found it convenient.

J'ak-te turned to Bolivar who waved his hand. "No thank you," he stated icily. "I am a Shapeshifter not a Yautja." He spoke the truth and it was what I should have done instead of accepting my place in the Yautja hierarchy. Now, if I made it out of this alive, I would have to make a decision to stay or leave with J'ak-te. Technically, with this scar I was a Yautja but could I leave my village?

"Let's go," I say easily as I turn around and start down the long hallway silently relieved that it was just the three of us now. The humans were only holding us back but now it would be easier to handle without their deadweight. I hoped silently that Ha'alum and Lex were dong okay but wiped it from my mind the second it popped up. Of course they were okay and if they weren't then it shouldn't matter.

J'ak-te grabbed my arm at one point and halted my progression through the tunnels when there was a small rumble that passed through the ground. I felt the ground under my feet vibrate before I heard the muffled but distinct roar of a Mother Xenomorph. I grabbed onto J'ak-te's arm when the temple around us started to shake as if something were trying to bring down the foundations.

I screamed when the ground underneath me suddenly collapsed, opening up a gaping hole in the temple that lead into a darkness so thick I was sure even the Yautja mask couldn't penetrate it. J'ak-te dropped to his stomach and grabbed for my arm but I had already gripped the side of the hole and was hauling myself up onto the level ground. I brushed off the large hand that was on my arm scoffing to the man. **"I am no Youngling, J'ak-te. I can handle myself,"**I state irritably before pushing down further into the darkness.

I would never let him know that the drop had scared me but this place was probably filled with booby trapped and what had that shaking been? I hoped, desperately, that it wasn't the Queen being woken up even more then she had been. And how had so many of these things been spawned in such a short amount of time. Surely, there couldn't be that many grave robbers in my Temple. I thought back to the last couple of months and tried to remember if any group of people had been near the Temple. I couldn't think of anyone and this worried me a little.

We continued on as if nothing had happened. J'ak-te stood to my left and Bolivar to my right as if they could protect me from the other male. Their rivalry was starting to annoy me the deeper into the tunnels we went. I couldn't see or hear anything strange yet but there was an air of foreboding drifting through the dry tunnel. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Silence issued through the tunnels as all three of us made no sounds as we walked through. There wasn't a sound and that made the crash all that louder when it happened. It rocked the whole foundation making my small body shove into J'ak-te's roughly. His arm wrapped down diagonally across my body to grab my hip where he hauled me up against him harshly. The air was knocked clear out of my lungs as my chest hit his rock hard side. I could feel us flying through the air as he jumped powerfully over some downed rocks.

I'm pretty sure I screamed his name as the ceiling around us came crashing down around us at random intervals. He was rushing through the wreckage even before I could find Bolivar in all of the mess. I jerked around to look over the massive creature's shoulder only to see a glimpse of the fearful man's eyes as he was cut off by a huge chunk of rock behind us. "No!" I hear myself shout just as a large piece of rock connects with J'ak-te's opposite shoulder. He let out a roar of pain as he was pitched forward.

I felt myself falling with him and yelped as he daftly flipped himself over so that I wouldn't be crushed under his bulk. He hit the ground with a dull sound and I prepared myself for the jolt just as I grabbed my staff to hit a falling rock that was aimed right for the hulking mass's head under me. **"J'ak-te, you have to get up!" **I shout as I watch him touch his shoulder gently before sitting up to grab me up with his good arm again. **"Let me go!"**

It was no use screaming because he was already dodging falling rubble with amazing speed that I would never be able to muster even on my best day. He was pretty much saving my life even as the rubble started to settle and we were left in a small area with barely a dozen feet all the way around. He didn't relax until the fractured pyramid had come to rest completely. By that time I had my arms wrapped around his neck tightly and I slowly peeled myself away from him as he set me to the ground.

Looking around I saw that there wasn't a single exit. "Damn it," I cursed softly just as I heard a low growl. Jerking my head around I saw J'ak-te sit down to look at his shoulder, which was covered in neon green blood. He was digging for his med-pack as I walked over to sit down in front of him. **"Here,"** I say softly as I take the med-pack gently in my hands. He stares at me through his mask making my skin prickle gently with how weird it felt sitting there after so many years of never seeing each other.

I prepared the needle for a few moments before he took off his mask with the hiss of released nitrogen. He set his mask over and fought not to look up into his eyes knowing I'd see my past resting there waiting for me to accept it. I cannot help myself. Looking up, I stare into his golden green eyes feeling myself being pulled into them just like I had when I was younger. His good hand reached up to touch the side of my face just as I stabbed him with the needle to stop his movements. He howled with pain making me smirk as I pulled it back out of his hard flesh standing up to walk around the room.

**"Will you let me explain now?" **he asks suddenly in a deep, throaty tone that makes my back straighten. It's funny that I had wanted him to explain himself for so long and yet when it came time I was afraid. I had built my walls over the past nine years to keep his memory out so that I wouldn't lose my mind with depression. But here he was after I had become comfortable with the thought of living my life without him to break through my peaceful existance.

I stared at the wall with my back to my first lover and gave a deep sigh. **"I don't see what the use of it will be, J'ak-te,"**I say softly feeling the welling of tears in the back of my throat. I heard him shift as I turned slowly to look at him with hatred. **"You abandoned me. There is nothing left."**

I saw the pain flash through his face and this time it stabbed like a needle at my heart. It was his fault that things were this way so why was he so sad that I treated him this way. **"I did not abandon you, Ak'ta!"** he nearly shouted trying to stand up but finding himself still in a bit of pain when he threw his hurt arm down to push himself up. I snorted through my nose at him before turning back. He gave a very human-esque sigh before settling back on the ground again. **"When you were taken I wanted to save you. I planned for a full day to save you but when I was preparing to invade that horrid hospital I was called back to the planet. There had been an invasion there and I was needed to help protect the homefront."**

I clenched my fists harshly feeling my short nails biting into my skin. **"So, instead of rescuing me, which surely would have taken you perhaps an hour, you went off to save the planet when we both know that the women had it taken care of," **I whisper harshly staring down at the ground as tears started to form in the corner of my vision. I shove them back growling under my breath mostly because I knew what I had just said was selfish and wrong. My whole world was starting to crack under me and I knew I would fall at any moment.

**"I was going to come back as soon as I had the chance but the war just ended not but a month ago,"** he states softly. **"We fought with a group that accidentally brought a group of Xenomorphs with them and a battle with a weaker race became an all out battle for the planet against our oldest enemies. I was stuck, Ak'ta, I had to help them." **I hear him stand up but I can't move because my foundations were crumbling away and the tears were back. I wanted to push them away but they brimmed over and fell down my cheeks as he came up behind me. **"I would never leave you, Ak'ta. You were my Mate."**

His hands incircle my upper arms trying to reach me through the thick walls that surrounded my emotions. **"Don't say that word. It means nothing to me anymore,"** I whisper harshly brushing away his hands and moving away. **"You let a filthy human male sexually abuse me, J'ak-te, can you handle that on your conscience? Hm? As my Mate you were supposed to protect me and you failed!" **My words were harsh and they were very spiteful but there was just some part of me that needed to express all of my pain of nine years.

His face contorts into one of absolute anguish and I have to turn away for the pain in my heart grinds at my resolve. For the first time in three years I felt a desire for him again. I could feel it welling up inside my chest making me desperate for his touch. My hand reached out but I recoiled when he turned to stare down at me with those molten eyes full of sadness and guilt.

**"I am sorry for failing you, Ak'ta," **he whispers making my heart flutter for the first time in decades. I clenched my fists and turned away from him glaring at the wall. He was silent for a long time before going back to sit against the wall. I stood there for a few more minutes collecting myself before I turned to him.

**"What do we do now?"**


	5. Chapter 5

**Kanassa: Goddess of Fire**

**Summary: **Sequel to Dahdtoudi: The Servant Girl. Kanassa has settled into her life with the Tribe of Fire deep within the Amazon until Lex and Weyland Industries interrupt her. The Hunt has begun and she that their Temple is in danger of being overrun by something so sinister she can hardly contain herself.

**Rating:** MA

_For chapter: M_

**Warnings: **Sexual situations; Language

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Predator or any of the ideas from their culture that stem from the movies or the comics. However, I do own Kanassa and the underlying plot idea. Please do not steal.

Normal : English ; _Italics_ : Recorded Voice ; **Bold** : Yautja

* * *

I stopped when the commotion in the tunnel parallel to their own started up. I gazed at the wall as the sounds of fighting drifted through. I heard a roar that shook the ground and another scream, more human, that echoed off of the stone walls. A hand pressed to my lower back ushered me on, making a quick pace to keep us moving. Hala trilled softly making my skin prickle with the familiar sound that brought back too many memories.

_"Let's go,"_ the Yautja's mask said in Kanassa's voice yet again as we continued down the path. The hair on the back of my neck was standing on end as we roamed into darker and deeper tunnels. I followed close to Hala for fear that we would get separated. A rumbling started in the ground not but ten minutes after we had started our fast pace. I jumped as the ground jolted; I was thrown into Hala's back harshly. _"Be ready."_

I nodded my head as suddenly another shudder nearly knocked me off of my feet. It was like the whole building was shaking with the force of the tremor. Hala's arm shot out to pick me up off of the ground. He seemed to have a better balance than I did as he turned and ran full-speed through the tunnels. I pressed my face against his chest growling with mixed emotions. I was embarrassed to have to be carried but at the same time I was glad that I didn't have to navigate through the sismic activity.

Slowly, the building around us started to crumble. I turned my head to look over the Yautja's shoulder and gasped to see the pieces of stone and rock falling in behind us. Something was growled to me in his language and even though I had no clue what he had just said I turned to look where we were running. I saw the opening and wrapped my arms and legs around him just as we hit the opening.

Powerful legs flexed right as we hit the edge and for a few seconds we were airborn. I glanced down only to see a black abyss under us. A silent cry choked in my throat as we hit the ground in a roll. My world went upside down and I almost became sick as he righted himself stopping so that my head could stop spinning. _"Good?"_ the recorded voice asks in a monotone but I could see that he was actually worried for me.

I nodded my head in confirmation as his hand wraps under my back to rest on my thigh cradling me in the crook of his arm. Flushed, I squirmed slightly and in the end wrapped my arms around his neck. I wanted down; honestly, I wanted down but I figured he wasn't letting me down for a good reason. He purred softly when he felt my hands on his neck but I tried to ignore his soothing vibrations.

I chuckled when his mask came to nuzzle at my neck lightly the warm metal sending shocks of shivers down my spine. "Alright, alright," I push his face away as he moves away from our stagnant spot. We walked along this bridge that was part of a huge room with a high ceiling and low ground. Hala walked to the edge of the bridge and looked down carefully so as not to drop me.

Tensing, I let a low hiss escape my lips when I saw the familiar sight of so many eggs ready to hatch at a moment's notice. The arm wrapped around my body tightened soothingly before he placed a finger to his mask in a very human gesture. Slowly, he crouched down and with an easy grip swung me over his shoulder so that I was hanging from his neck with my thighs squeezing his sides for grip.

With great ease he lowered himself down and started to climb down the rock wall. It was rather interesting to watch him as he dug notches in the hard surface with the talons on his hands and feet. I hung over the large presipice and even though I knew I should be afraid, I wasn't. I knew he was always alert as to where I was at that exact moment. If it slipped up even a bit then he would probably risk his health to save me. This thought made me smile for some reason and I pressed my face into his long, black 'hair' enjoying the heat that radiated from his mesh suit.

It took no time at all for him to set his feet on the ground and I slowly slipped from his strong back to land soundlessly behind him. He turned to stand next to me staring at the sea of eggs in front of us. He touched his wrist to turn on the small device there and started to do something with it. "Woah!" I hissed touching his hand to stop him. "You can't blow up this place! We have no exit yet!"

He tilted his head and clicked a couple of time before seeming to understand and tittering gently in amusement. Pulling his hand away, he pushed back a little panel in the device to show a small vial with bright blue liquid in it. He picked it up and with such delicacy he turned to the eggs and started to drop the liquid down on them. With barely a noise the eggs dissolved away into nothingness. I stared in shock as he kept going around and leaving enough of the liquid to take all of them.

It took him until about half-way before the eggs got wind that there was someone there and they started opening up. I tensed and took out my staff to get into the ready position. Hala turned away from one opening egg without a second thought just as something black and slimey pounced out of it. I jumped to cut it down watching the wiggling parts fall to the ground. I went about killing any of the things that hatched until Hala was done then I looked at the black things.

I stopped dead in my tracks. "Hala," I whisper breathlessly catching the male's attention. He walks over to click anxiously at me but I point to one of the carcasses on the ground. "Look." He looked down and gave a soft growl of realization. It wasn't a face-hugger like I had seen back in the Artic so many years ago. No, this time it was a baby alien that had legs and everything. "They've skipped the impregnation step...they're evolving."

Hala nods his head and presses something on the side of his mask then starts a series of growls and clicks that confuse me. Then, I realize he must be speaking to Jack and Kanassa through a line in their masks. I waited while he spoke to Jack by checking for any more creatures in the area. Of course, Hala had been thorough and the area was clear. I heard him stop clicking and turn towards me just as I heard the hiss from above.

"Lex!" I heard the growl just as I swung my staff up to hit the monster. It spat in anger and jumped to the side just as a few more started to crawl down the walls like bugs. Acid poured from the wounded creature's leg and hissed when it hit the ground breaking through that layer of the pyramid. I jumped back from the growing hole hearing another hiss behind me. "Lex!" Again, that throaty growl that seemed to reverberate through my bones and that's when I realized it was Hala speaking my name.

I glanced a look at him over my shoulder but as soon as I did the monster pounced. With a turn I knocked the monster into the hole it had just made hearing the crack as it hit the ground five seconds later. That was a long drop. I grunted when a tail swung at me only to watch a cream grey hand shoot out to grab the appendage with a long roar. Several of the creatures scattered back a bit as Hala spun to throw the creature into a rock wall several feet away.

I watched in awe at the flexing muscles of the creature's back as he helped her fend off some of the monsters. I returned to killing off my own trying to keep the blood they spilt to a minimum so that the floor wouldn't cave in under us. Two of the creatures came closer to me and I knew that Hala had his own to deal with so as I watched the two advance I smirked. The adrenaline rush was like nothing I had ever felt since the trials in the Artic so many years ago.

One came a step closer to me but the other seemed to grow possesive and snapped at the creature's ankle drawing blood. I tilted my head but as the blood pooled and the ground caved in under the bleeding monster I saw the intelligence in the other's eyes as he side stepped the growing hole. This one knew I would never survive a fall that his brother couldn't. I gritted my teeth but moved backwards away from the hole.

"Hala," I whisper softly but he is too far away and much too preoccupied with what he was doing to notice me. I saw that he was trying to fend off two of his own and trying to keep this one creature away was easy, right? I swung out with my staff nicking the creature's arm with the blade. I had meant to club him but the blood ran anyways and slowly the ground started to cave in under the creature until my back hit the bridge. Shit. I watched helplessly as the ground finally took the advancing monster and inched closer to me. I looked right but there had already been some blood spilt there so I was trapped seeing as there was a wall to my left and a hole spreading in front of me. "Hala!" I screamed when the hole touched the edge of my boots.

He was just tossing his last alien into the hole as I screamed and turned before giving a sort of deep yelp. His strong legs flex to propel him towards me. I felt the ground give way as I stood on my tip toes just as he reached an arm out to me. My hand groped for him just as my stomach lurched and I was falling. His strong hand wrapped around my wrist at the last moment to bring my fall to a jerking stop. I gasped at the pain that lanced through my arm. Hala had thrown himself down to his stomach and was slowly reaching down to use his other hand to pull me up as gently as possible.

I gritted my teeth as he slowly sat back to pull me onto his lap. My shoulder was killing me and as I looked at it I saw the odd angle it was at. "Shit," I whisper in pain. I had popped my arm out of socket! Hala trilled softly to soothe me and I helt his hand reach over to touch my shoulder as tenderly as possible. I still felt the stab of pain and bit back a hiss. "We'll have to put it back in place."

He started purring. I didn't understand why he would do that at a time like this but when I reached to pop my shoulder back in he pushed my hand away gently. With curious brown eyes I looked back at him only to find him slowly taking his mask off with the his of released air tubes. Slowly, he set the metal plate down and without much warning burried his mandibles in my hair making me tense until I felt the vibrations running through his chest into my back. They soothed me slowly as his hand slipped into my hair to gently massage my scalp, which instantly had my body limp.

I was still confused until his hand was suddenly on my shoulder and the pain lanced through me like so many needles as he jerked my sockets back into place. He placed a hand over my mouth as I screamed out muffling the sound while keeping up the constant noise of his purring to slowly get me to relax again. He sifted through my hair and soon the pain was just a dull ache in the back of my mind. I smiled as he pulled away from me a bit to tilt his head; he was still purring insistantly.

"Thank you," I say as my voice cracks. I could feel the heat seeping down to the the junction between my legs. I had to stand up or I was going to do something I would regret. Sadly, when I went to stand up something was holding me back. That something being a large Yautja male with his hands wrapped around my body. I flushed a nice scarlet color as his mandibles scrapped softly against the skin of my neck making me shiver with pleasure.

"Lex..." he growls making me gasp with the sound of it and the feel of the single syllable reverberating through my chest suddenly. My insides twisted as his hands touched the bare skin of her arms making it hard to concentrate on the task at hand. Why was hearing her voice coming from this throat so much more exciting then if a human male had said it? Perhaps because it obviously took him a lot of work to clearly say it? Or was it just because she hadn't been interested in humans since that event in the Artic? Sure, she had had many offers but when she tried to go on dates or outings or even have sex with them it always felt hallow and boring.

"H-Hala," I whisper feeling the trembling in my hands as I finally pulled away from him. It took all of my strength to keep my legs from buckling underneath me. I ran a hand through my hair to distract myself from the burning between my legs and the feeling of disappointment that rushed through my system. "We...We need to go."

* * *

I tilted my head at the human female. Everything about her screamed that she was responding to him and yet she still pulled away. Her pheramones were pouring off of her from that distinctive spot between her legs just as a Yautja-female but instead of giving into her instincts she pulled away. This should have put me off...sadly, it only drew me closer. She was a bigger challenge than any of the females on my planet. Not strength-wise, of course, but she fought her baser instincts when most female Yautjas could not. Why did this satisfy me so much?

I could still feel her heat radiating through me and it made me smirk at her back. I reached down to put my mask back on letting her have her distance for a few moments before I took her arm. She jumped and I could see the heat in her eyes just like I could feel the heat of her body on my palm. I looked into those dark eyes and felt a shudder rush through me, stoking the fire that was winding its way through my abdomen. _"Let's go,"_ I let the recording speak for me.

She nodded her head and I crouched to let her climb up on my back so that we could ascend the wall. I was glad that Kanassa had given me some kind of human language so that the barrier between Lex and I could be broken ever so slightly but I don't think the dark female realized that I had a translator in my mask that made it so I could understand everything she was saying. It was unfair that I could understand her but she could not understand me. It was a barrier that we would have to overcome if we ever got out of this place.

I climbed the wall with ease feeling her hold on to me mostly with her good arm with her thighs tight around my sides. It was distracting, to say the least, having her wrapped so tightly around my body. I wished it were in a different, more primal way, to be honest. Every time I looked at her I thought of what it would be like to lie with her.

I grunted as I hauled us up over the edge of the bridge setting her to the ground. She landed lightly on her feet and we started through the tunnel just as we had been doing before. We were silent, as was expected seeing as we could not speak to one another properly. No, I just watched her out of the corner of my vision tittering at the tooth that hung around her neck on a string. She had accepted my gift. I was assured by Kanassa that she didn't understand what it meant but the intelligence in her eyes when she had accepted it told me otherwise. She knew what she was getting into and honestly, I didn't expect everything that a gift like that would hold on my planet but it gave me hope.

Besides, this would have been considered strange on my planet. To give a human such an important offer was disgusting to a lot of Yautjas but obviously, with my Master J'ak-te it wasn't uncommon. When I first became a student to the Elder I had wondered why his eyes always looked far away to a different world then I found out. It was through a maid of his Kallisto, a beautiful shape-shifting alien. She spoke of a lovely human servant that J'ak-te had taken an interest in. She had been sharp, confident and so sweet to everyone; the perfect balance of kindness and discipline.

When I first met Kanassa I did not think this could be her. She had eyes made a steel, with hair of fire and a personality not unlike a Xenomorph. She was quick to attack, fiery, and harsh to the point of insensitivity. She was nothing like the woman of Kallisto's stories. The more I watched Kanassa though the more I understood her; she had been hardening in a dangerous and merciless world for nine years. She held such hatred in her heart that it was hard to watch her sometimes. No, she wasn't what J'ak-te had expected at all and I saw the pain on his face when she had accused him of such dishonorable things.

Then, there was Lex. When she had first shown up I had been interested because of her skin color. She was a dark shade of brown that made her look exotic and beautiful. Her eyes were a dark, warm color and her hair was cut short but still had a bit of length to it. She had the spark behind her eyes that showed challenge and energy; she was a brave soul and when I had seen her mark it made my chest tighten. She was one of us. She had survived an attack from the Xenomorphs and was now walking with us again.

Such obsession was uncommon in my culture but for some reason whenever she walked by I could not help but watch her. She was so different from the females of my planet and yet when I watched her fight I saw a spirit that was more Yautja than human. I had given her the gift to promise that if we got out of this mess that she was welcome to come back with me. Humans could live on our planet as long as they aclimated to it and I wanted her with me more than anything. I could sense that this world wasn't enough for her. When she spoke to the human men with her it was with distraction and detachment from the world. She was a thousand miles away and I wished to take her there.

A noise up ahead alerted me back to my surroundings and I jerked my head up to stare down the dark tunnel. Lex looked up at me and with a nod we strange into a run towards the sounds. That's when I heard the scream. I wasn't human and it wasn't Yautja and nor was it Xenomorph so I pushed faster. Then came the familiar roar. It was human and slightly feminine so it had to be Kanassa's. _"Be ready,"_ I play the recorded sound bit watching Lex nod her head determined.


	6. Chapter 6

**Kanassa: Goddess of Fire**

**Summary: **Sequel to Dahdtoudi: The Servant Girl. Kanassa has settled into her life with the Tribe of Fire deep within the Amazon until Lex and Weyland Industries interrupt her. The Hunt has begun and she that their Temple is in danger of being overrun by something so sinister she can hardly contain herself.

**Rating:** MA

_For chapter: M_

**Warnings: **Hinting at Sexual situations; language

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Predator or any of the ideas from their culture that stem from the movies or the comics. However, I do own Kanassa and the underlying plot idea. Please do not steal.

Normal : English ; _Italics_ : Portuguese ; **Bold** : Yautja

* * *

I knew I would never truly have Kanassa. I knew when I first started to fall in love with her that she would forever be out of my reach. When she started to adjust to the wilderness of the Amazon I saw a beauty in her that I had never seen in any other human I had met. She had a strength that was lost in her native people. She took her injuries and ran with them; she took her depression and covered it with a new purpose. She slowly sank into the way of living that was now ruling her life.

Those people needed her more than they needed the air they breathed. With poachers and scientists and terrible predators so much stronger and stranger than the wild beasts of the forests they found their savior in her and she found her happiness and distraction in them. Her wounds healed quickly but her mental stability was shaky. I watched her from afar at first before slowly creeping in closer to have a better look.

She was a bit hesitant of my presence at first but the more I stayed around, the more relaxed she became. Of course, as some walls fell down...others could only be broken by one. I was not that person. I knew this and yet I still threw my lot in with her; I threw my soul and heart into her mental stability and honestly, I think I got pretty far. I still hope that I might wake up from this horrible nightmare and find myself in the forest with Kanassa lying next to me after the night of the full moon. Everything would be fine; she would wake up and smile again.

But _he_ had to come and mess everything up! She was almost over his absence! She was almost ready to move on! Every day, she smiled more and more and the moments when she would stare off to another world became few and far between. Kanassa wouldn't get that look of utter emptiness but maybe once a week; she would spend most of her time protecting those she cared for and with me.

The first time she shared the full moon with me was...magical. I will never get that image of her stepping out of that tree line from my head. I will always see her bathed in the rays of the full moon that shined down on her fire hair that seemed to be flecked with silver in that light. She had looked at me with those green eyes and smirked before turning to run. I didn't need to explain myself to her. There were no words necessary. She just knew me; she knew what I needed and I could tell that this was what she needed too.

I fell in love with her. I did not think that my kind could do such a thing but I did. Every time I saw her...it would bring those emotions through me. I didn't care that she would never_ truly_ belong to me, heart and soul, because her mind was always a hundred light years away with the creature that had abandoned her. Something about him just kept haunting her memories; kept her from turning away from the past and moving on, completely.

When he showed up, I knew that I had lost her for good. She looked upon his face with such awe and hurt that I knew she would forgive him in the long run. No reason, no matter how small or trivial, that he gave for leaving her so many years ago would be enough to break her love for him. She saw him with rose-colored glasses even in her harder state of mind. She would love him forever; such a silly concept for humans to have but when I saw the way he looked at her I felt so much jealousy. I wanted to rip him to shreds but I knew that he was so much stronger than me that I was helpless.

As much as I hated it, she belonged to him, body and soul.

The only reason I came down into this hell-hole of a pyramid was to watch over her and here I was alone. Not to mention I couldn't even imagine what he would do once they were alone. I had failed her and as I fight off this group of monsters by myself I know that there is no way for me to live but I will fight to keep them from attacking Kanassa. This is the last thing I can do for her. I know this and yet even as I fight I wish I could see her one last time. One last glimpse of her face.

"Bolivar!" a familiar voice shouts just as I am cut across the side by a whip-like tail. I let out a very animalistic scream as I slash with my claws to strike down the beast. At this moment, I have chosen to take the form of a very powerful sabertooth tiger from ancient times...an easier time. It was only survival back then and I was the predator, the top of the food chain. Here, I was weak and useless.

I down the creature and feel myself falling to the ground loosing my form to sit in that of my truest identity. This is how I know the extension of my wound. I look down at my side and see the gushing silver blood; I feel the stabbing pain as death nears closer. I hear the roar of Kanassa as she strikes down the last of the creatures before they can get to me. The sound is loud, piercing but comforting. I am glad I can see her as she should be for once.

I see her in her armor; that beautiful piece of craftmanship that she kept hidden away until she needed it again. It fits her beautifully and I know that this is how she was truly meant to be seen. This is who she really is. I cannot change who a person is and honestly, I do not wish to change her. Her face is cloaked in darkness, that I can only see with my inhuman eyes, and is full of sadness to see me in pain but happiness because she has found her place again. She does not belong on Earth. She is like a fish without water; a Goddess without her Heaven. And I am content knowing she is happy.

* * *

J'ak-te and I stayed in the confines of our prison for less than ten minutes before we found a small bit of rubble that could be moved. It wasn't all that impressive of an exit but we managed to squeeze our way through. I was afraid J'ak-te would get stuck but he managed to get out just fine and we found ourselves in a smaller side chamber. It wasn't a tall room but had a nice compact area with a couple of tombs settled all around. I looked around at the native language.

**"This was Kanassa's true burial place,"** I whisper not even thinking about the fact that I had switched to Yautja completely. I ran my hand across the surcofocas of the woman I was impersonating and smirked slightly. I was using a fake identity to fit into this world. Perhaps, I did not belong after all.

We moved on in silence, finding another tunnel that lead upwards. I guessed we were close to the main chamber from the location of this tomb. Usually, the Gods were placed close to the Queen, or at least that's what I would guess from the stories the natives told me. I was mostly guessing but their religion was very specific about their Gods and their Royalty.

I started to come into range of some noise that was familiar. It was the sounds of fighting and I broke out into a run as the sounds of growls and hisses come to my ears. Soon I break through the tunnel into a small chamber much like the one we had just come from. Looking at the room I saw four entrances counting the one we had just come through. That's when I saw the creatures fighting with another form that was large and feline.

"Bolivar!" I scream loudly hearing my voice reverberating from the walls as the feline is knocked to the side with a loud scream. I feel my world stop turning when the feline takes down one last creature before falling to the side with a shimmer before he falls into his true form. The world goes quiet and all I can hear is my beating heart and the rushing of blood through my ears.

The other creatures, sensing stronger threats in the room turn to look at the two of us and finally I release the roar that threatens to overtake my vocal cords. I grab my combi-stick and attack the creatures without hesitation. Slaughter was quick and effective with very little blood. Instead, I chose to bash the skulls of the creatures to death. I cannot focus on anything else other than the fact that I am angrier than I have ever been.

As soon as all of the creatures are done I drop my staff to rush over to where Bolivar fell. His silver hair was shimmering even without the moon light and I felt my throat clench when he takes in a ragged breath. His clear eyes stare up at me with obvious pain and understanding. I slipped my hand under his head and raised him slowly staring at the bleeding wound on his side. I moved my hand to press the wound but he grabbed my palm gently.

_"Don't bother," _he whispers in the native tongue. _"I'm dying anyways."_

_"Bolivar..."_ I choke on my tears, which are slowly blurring my vision. _"Don't leave me."_

_"Shush now," _he chuckles the sound of liquid coming into his voice. _"You left me as soon as you landed on this planet. You belong with him; you belong with his kind. Don't fool yourself in thinking that you are happy here, Kanassa. You've never been truly happy. Do yourself a favor and go with him."_

Tears spill over my cheeks to fall against his cheeks. Raising his hand, he wipes at my tears smiling softly. _"Don't cry. This is not an end but a new beginning,"_ he rasps gazing at me with a glazed over expression. _"I love you, Kanassa...Ak'ta."_ With those words his hand goes back to rest on his chest before he closes his eyes and falls silent. I can feel the last breath leave his chest and he lies there motionless.

Tears drenched my cheeks as I slowly became aware of the other two presences that filled the room. Setting the body down on the ground, I sat there for a few moments composing myself before I stand up and feel a hand on my shoulder. It wasn't Yautja so I knew it had to be Lex trying to comfort me in her human way. I gaze down at the dead body and feel the final tears slip down my cheeks before I take the hankerchief that Lex offered me to wipe my face. Death happened and I had to move on. Bolivar was a strong believer in reincarnation so I knew that this wasn't the end but it still tightened my heart as if the blood vessels were trying to suffocate themselves.

"Let's continue," I whisper hating the way my voice cracked with emotions. I needed something to distract myself with and the best thing was killing this whole fucking colony of monsters. I turned to pick up my staff before moving forward through the exit I felt would lead to the center of the colony.

* * *

I cannot say I am as sad to see the shape-shifter pass but the pain I see on Ak'ta's face is hard to deal with. This was not the first time since we had gotten stuck in this hell-hole that I had seen her cry and it unnerved me a bit. For Ak'ta, a powerful warrior, to cry was like seeing a fellow Elder die of a human disease; it hurt too much for words to come close to describing properly.

She cried for only a few moments before she was up and led the way like the true warrior she was. We had a job to complete and the sooner we got this over with, the sooner I could take my Mate home and make up for everything I had done to her. We followed after her in silence as she moves to pick up her staff and starts for a tunnel that has the most sound coming from it. It wasn't a loud noise or an obvious sound but it was a dull hum that seemed to vibrate through the ground under our feet. Kanassa, being trained to be observant, could feel it through the soles of her thin shoes.

I watch her from behind as she fists her staff to keep down the emotions that threatened to destroy her resolve. I wanted to comfort her but I knew that she would take it as a...'rebound' as humans would say. She was on a mission now. It wasn't just for the people she protected on this planet but now it was for revenge as well. I saw that fire in her and she knew exactly where she was going now; she was on a mission for death.

It wasn't much of a surprise when we met a hoard of the monsters on our way but by then all of us had had our fair share of demons to kill. Ak'ta sliced through the front line of them while I dealt with those trying to attack her at the sides. Ha'alum and Lex were at the rear taking care of the ones who descended from the ceiling. I watched Ak'ta make her trail of death without much sound from her; she just did what she needed to and it seemed that we were in a part of the pyramid that was safe from the floors being dissolved away.

The hoard stopped for us to get through the tunnel. Ak'ta was in the lead and when we broke through to the central chamber we all jolted at a loud sound that echoed off of the walls. For a few seconds after the sound there was silence until Ak'ta screamed out and was thrown back by some unseen force. **"Ak'ta!"** I roar rushing over to see her picking herself up. Her hand was pressed against her shoulder and I saw the thick red blood slowly oozing from the wound there.

**"G-Gun shot,"** she sputters in pain as she stands up with my help to face whoever was there.

"So you finally get down here, hm?" a voice asks in English catching all of our attention to look over at a woman holding onto a human gun.

* * *

"N-Natasha?" I ask shocked to see the female standing there smirking from her perch high up on the rock ledge of the chamber. "What are you doing here?" J'ak-te holds me up as the pain lances through my body making it hard to stay conscious. I hadn't been shot in a long time and to be shot in such a tender area was agony.

"You took your sweet ass time, didn't you?" she asks staring at her gun admiringly. "I thought you'd be here sooner but now that you're here the real show can begin!" She smirks as she points upwards to the ceiling where a giant Queen was hanging suspended from chains. I wasn't sure why she was being so quiet but by the way she was looking down at us, she was hungry.

"Why are you here, Natasha?" Lex asks while my wound was being examined by the Yautja who had a worried trill going to soothe my pain. It wasn't working, to say the least.

She chuckles darkly. "I figured it'd be simple to understand but I guess I have to explain!" she states as Lex jerks her hand to stop Ha'alum from firing at the woman. We needed to hear this: I needed to hear this. "Jared was just a decoy, an idiot. I helped you out because I knew that only then would you lead us to your male Predator. I was correct of course but it took too long for him to get back so I had some bandits slip into this pyramid to start the process while we controlled everything within."

"So why bring me here?" Lex shouts harshly.

"Because you and Kanassa are the only ones on this planet that know about the Predators besides those of us in Weyland industries. You two are the only liabilities that we had for this project so we decided to get two birds with one stone!" she explains making my blood boil. I was used! This whole time I thought Natasha had been a friend and here I was finding out that she was just another sick human who wanted something. "You didn't think Weyland Industries stopped when you destroyed that little base? Ha, we were hardly done with the information we got from you!"

I growled darkly at the woman just as the bullet was jerked out of my skin by J'ak-te. She had good aim. The bullet had pierced right through the crack between my shoulder plate and breast plate. I felt the sharp sting of a needle but I was too distracted to care; I wanted her head. I wanted her flesh as a blanket for my bed and I wanted to mount her skull on my wall as the ultimate trophy. I gritted my teeth whispering dangerously as the pain slowly started to ebb away.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you because you were mumbling?"

"I will kill you!" I roar just as she smirks and takes out a remote to push a button. There was a roar as the chains around the Queen were released and she started to descend on us.

"Come and get me then."


	7. Chapter 7

**Kanassa: Goddess of Fire**

**Summary: **Sequel to Dahdtoudi: The Servant Girl. Kanassa has settled into her life with the Tribe of Fire deep within the Amazon until Lex and Weyland Industries interrupt her. The Hunt has begun and she that their Temple is in danger of being overrun by something so sinister she can hardly contain herself.

**Rating:** MA

_For chapter: M_

**Warnings: **Hinting at Sexual situations; language; violence

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Predator or any of the ideas from their culture that stem from the movies or the comics. However, I do own Kanassa and the underlying plot idea. Please do not steal.

Normal : English ; _Italics_ : Yautja

* * *

As the creature dropped from the ceiling I felt myself grow fearful of the outcome. I couldn't be sure that I would make it out of this one. Sure, I had faced a Queen before but...I hadn't killed it. No, that had been Scar and he had died in the end from serious wounds. I was fearful but as I stood there waiting for the Queen to fall from that terrible height I felt an arm wrap around my waist and haul me up.

Yelping, I was met with Hala's exposed face. "Put your mask o-oh!" I gasp when he splays his mandibles and presses his face to mine. I know he is trying to relay a kiss and at first I am terrified but as a pair of hands touch the sides of my face I ease into him. I know this is his way of comforting me but I can't help but feel as if this was a good-bye kiss as well. His tongue flicks out to touch my lower lip and I respond with my own enjoying the alien taste of his mouth as I return the strange kiss.

He pulls away as the Queen lands not thirty feet from us. He presses his rough hand against my chest where his gift was and I nod my head before facing the fear that stands there against us. I was going to make it out of this alive or I was going to die trying. I took up my staff and charged with Ak'ta and J'ak-te who were already upon the creature. Hala was not but five paces behind me and as the other two went for the front we took care of the other creatures that started to show up from the high ceiling.

We cut through the many bodies of the creatures, side-by-side, and protecting each other as well as protecting the other two that weren't too far from us. I swung to cut off the head of another creature just as Hala was there picking me up and jumping away from a deadly swipe of the Queen's tail. I yelped but as soon as I was sat back down there were more creatures to fight and we kept at it. I wouldn't go down like a weakling; I wanted Hala to see me as a worthy woman. He needed to see me as the warrior I was.

Slowly, the creatures started to dwindle until only the Queen was left. Once we were sure that there were no more of the small ones we turned our attention to the Queen who, though battered, was no more worse for ware. J'ak-te didn't look like he had even been fighting all day but Ak'ta...she looked as if her wound was really hurting her. I could see some red dotting the ground all around her and it worried me. "We have to help!" I call to Hala who nods his head as if understanding my words and we rush forward to meet the other two.

* * *

I was feeling pretty run down even before the Queen descended but as she touched the ground J'ak-te and I were upon her. She roared out and lashed at us with her giant talons. I just wanted to sleep off my wound; I wanted to lie down in my hut and wake up to find Bolivar standing in mydoorway smiling down at me. I wanted life to go back to...to what? To a lie? Bolivar had been right. I would never be happy on Earth! I would forever wish for something else, something more, no matter what I did. I would never fit in this world; I would never belong here.

I felt my heart pound as the battle continued thankful for Lex and Ha'alum who were taking care of the other creatures that were trying to help their Queen. J'ak-te made sure to watch for my bad side as we slashed out at the creature who was snapping her jaws and trying to attack our weaknesses. Somehow, the creatures were smarter and more adapted than what I had always heard about in hunting stories.

"We have to cut off something vital!" I shout to J'ak-te who nods his head in understanding as we work to attack the Queen from different angles.

"Watch out!" I hear a bit too late as I duck and roll from a slash of the female's tail. I gasp out when the wound that had been healed temporarily by the injection slipped open again. Blood, heated and slick, started to ooze through my armor. I slapped my hand over it with a growl just as Lex and Ha'alum got into the action with the Queen.

"Go!" Ha'alum shouted at J'ak-te who rushed over to look at the wound under my armor.

He grabbed for his needle again but I brushed his hand away._ "It will be a waste. My wound will just re-open anyways,"_ I grit through the pain even as he tries to do it anyways._ "Stop! Let's just kill her! If there are four of us then we can take her on!"_ I stand up, ignoring the pain, and start for the creature with J'ak-te right behind me.

"No, you go for Natasha!" Lex growls as I try to slash at the creature. "She has a remote that might be of some help!" I jerk to a halt when she states this and even though I knew she had spoken it so softly Natasha couldn't hear it I glanced out of the corner of my eye at her. She was just standing there smirking at us from her perch. "Go!"

I nodded my head and ducking under the Queen I tried to find a spot where Natasha wouldn't see me. She saw me duck under and then went back to watching the other group for a few moments. I didn't have long before she realized that I was coming after her so I started to climb the wall with my maul to scratch out foot and hand holds. I started to climb the wall and once I was close to the ledge that extended to where she was standing I pushed myself off the wall. I gripped the edge and with what little momentum I could conjure I hauled myself up onto the ledge.

I held back a hiss of pain as my shoulder throbbed but crouched there to let the pain diminish before hearing the cocking of a gun. Glancing up, I saw Natasha standing above me with the gun held two inches from my head. "Well, well, I figured you'd be coming up here," she smirks staring down at me with her dark eyes full of sarcastic mirth. "They probably figured I'd be an easy target for you even with that wound on your shoulder. Well, I'm going to tell you that-Ah!"

She gasped out as I sprang forward to knock her down straddling her waist and knocking the gun away from her hand. "You talk too much," I snap harshly pinning down her arms with one hand on her wrists. She growls darkly at me but I just ball my fist and hit her in the face with very little force. This silences her as I sit back with a dark smirk on my face. "You know, ever since you helped free me I thought of you as the first person I could trust on this God forsaken planet but now you just show me how wrong I was to trust anyone."

"You think you have me right where you want me?" she asks with a smirk before laughing darkly. I felt myself bare my teeth before smashing my fist into her face again. This time blood spilt from her broken nose but still she didn't show any sign of pain.

"What is wrong with you?" I ask shocked.

"Weyland doesn't just watch out for these temples, Kanassa!" she smirks and bucks me straight off of her. I gasp and jump back extending my maul dangerously watching her dark eyes shift to a bright orange color. I tensed up at the sight and watched as she stretched up to her full height smirking down at me. There was definitely something different about her. "A while before you came onto our planet there was another group of Predators, a human and another creature. We captured the human and alien and the human escaped but we kept the alien and thankfully we got a sample of her DNA." She slowly strips off her shirt and shows her skin that has strange markings covering her entire torso. "Well, guess who was the first to try gene splicing?"

I stare at her disgusted as she cracks her nose back into place and holds up the remote. "Want this?" she asks teasingly and I jump at her wanting to end this quickly before she showed what type of creature she had spliced into her. She tucks the remote into her pants before catching my fist right before the maul could pierce her skin. "Come now, you can do better than that!"

I growl darkly just as I hear the roar of the Queen. It sounded like it was in pain and I smirked. "Well, your Queen will soon fall," I whisper before shoving her back in her distraction. I slash at her with my maul but she daftly dodges it and with a backwards lunge she jumps to the next ledge with the grace that didn't belong to a human. I growled and took a running jump to follow after her, landing heavily on my feet before propelling my momentum to charge the woman. She shifts out of the way and I feel a swift kick to the small of my back that sends me flailing forward into the edge of the ledge.

I dig my maul into the wall of the temple and feel myself jolt to a sudden halt that makes my wound scream with pain. I grit my teeth to keep from calling out my pain. Instead, I hold myself steady and slowly start to swing up over the ledge. The mutant was there waiting for me so I ducked as she swung and swept her feet out from under her body. She feel heavily to the ground with me moving to jump atop her. Her growl was animalistic as she held out her hands to grip at my throat; I flipped to the side and took her by her shirt to toss her as hard as my wound would allow.

I felt her hands grope for some kind of grip on my armor but I slashed at her wrist to keep her from touching me. Blood was flung into my face as my jagged blade made contact and her scream was fresh in my ears as her good hand took hold of the edge of the ledge. I moved to stand up and look down at the woman who was barely holding onto the cragged ledge. Her orange eyes looked up at me with a pleading look.

"Come now, swing yourself up," I taunt for a moment before started to press my foot down on her fingers. There was no reason to draw this out longer than was needed. _"J'ak-te, make sure to get the remote."_ I know the man heard me even if he was still worried about the Queen in front of him; they pretty much had her where they wanted her so I wasn't too worried about that aspect. "Good bye."

I crushed her fingers under my foot and watched with apathy as she fell to the ground a good fifteen feet. Even if she were able to somehow land gracefully her brittle bones wouldn't be able to compensate for the height. Plus, the sound her body made when it came into contact with the ground left no room for argument. I pulled away from the ledge and started to make my hurried way down from where I was so that I could help the others. They were almost done with the Queen but they were tiring quickly.

I made my way to stand over the dead body of the woman that had tormented me to stab her through the heart. I had to make sure the job was done; I didn't want her showing up years later with some other genetic mutation. This was the last thing I was going to deal with before I went back home; I was done with Earth and everyone in this cavern knew it. I couldn't lie to myself anymore; even if I left J'ak-te and became my own warrior on that planet, I couldn't stay here. This wasn't where I was born and this wasn't where I was comfortable. These people in this jungle may respect me but it was clear that the outside world only wanted to hunt me down. I would not let that tribe be in danger because of my stubborn hatred for my once lover.

A loud roar cut off my thoughts and I turned in just enough time to see Ha'alum taking down the giant monster with his maul. It made me smile as he took the head off of the Queen before jumping away before the acidic blood could destroy him. J'ak-te picked a very talented apprentice; that was one thing I could say without regret. That, and that Ha'alum had picked a very powerful Mate in Lex. She had held her own against this Queen just as she had against these creatures so many years ago. It made me proud to have met her.

I coughed as the wound on my shoulder throbbed and I felt my legs give out underneath my body. Suddenly, I felt way too heavy. I felt my knees connect with a powerful crack before I started to tilt backwards. The noises around me sounded muffle and distant as I felt two very powerful arms wrap around my body to keep me off of the ground. I looked up through my slowly worsening tunnel vision and saw J'ak-te on his knees behind me with my head rested against his lap. His heat, his presence made me slowly smile until I winced._ "J'ak-te, the-the needle,"_ I whisper in his language watching him nod his head as I lifted my lead arm to start taking off my armor. It was like trying to fight off a Xenomorph with one hand.

_"Let me,"_ J'ak-te growls darkly as he sets the needle to the side and peels off my armor slowly. I wince at the pull of the dry blood and hold back a moan of pain. When the armor was off I heard the Yautja above me take in a deep hiss of air. It was that bad. I felt myself growl as a finger pressed against the wound sending a shot of pain down my spine.

_"Hurry up!"_ I snap harshly feeling the darkness edging around my vision starting to close in. I had to get the needle before I passed out or the likelyhood of me ever waking up were...I didn't want to think about it. J'ak-te moved faster than one of his stature should and stabbed me with the giant syringe earning a loud scream from my lips as he pumped the stinging substance into my wound. I felt the burn slowly ease off and a tingling started spreading from my wound to my surrounding muscles and nerves until I eased back into the big guy's lap. "I'm going to sleep now." I was pretty much delirious with pain by now and the medicine wasn't helping as I drifted off hearing his sounds of protest but not aware that they were pointed at me.


	8. Chapter 8

**Kanassa: Goddess of Fire**

**Summary: **Sequel to Dahdtoudi: The Servant Girl. Kanassa has settled into her life with the Tribe of Fire deep within the Amazon until Lex and Weyland Industries interrupt her. The Hunt has begun and she that their Temple is in danger of being overrun by something so sinister she can hardly contain herself.

**Rating:** MA

_For chapter: M+_

**Warnings: **Sexual situations; language

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Predator or any of the ideas from their culture that stem from the movies or the comics. However, I do own Kanassa and the underlying plot idea. Please do not steal.

Normal : English ; _Italics_ : Yautja

* * *

There was the sounds of commotion but they were familiar; there were the sounds of birds and wildlife that I had come to love in the past years I'd spent on Earth. There was the sound of water somewhere far off and I could smell the fire cooking something meaty outside my tent. The gentle breeze flapped the doorway of my tent back and forth just slightly and the humidity was down so I guessed it was closer to nighttime.

Slowly, I allowed my eyes to flutter open and found that the world was getting dimmer and dimmer around the tent. The air was cool with a bit of moisture and I knew that it would be cold soon; night was coming quickly, the jungle predators would be out soon enough. Somewhere in my mind I was aware that it was about time for me to go out and protect the village even though I knew things had changed.

I pushed myself up and winced when my shoulder tugged slightly. It wasn't as bad as it had been but there was still some ache left in the wound. I pressed at the bandages, wincing at the slight pang that sprouted from the bullet hole. That would definitely be a scar.

The flap to my tent fluttered slightly before a very familiar female stepped inside the enclosed area. "Ak'ta, you're awake," Lex states shocked to see me sitting up on my own. "The doctor told us you wouldn't wake up for a good day or two more."

I smirked amused at her comment. I was quick at healing; I never stayed down for too long. "I could have told you that," I chuckled lightly. She sat down next to me and held out a bowl full of fruit.

"I was going to come eat but I'm sure you're hungrier than I am," she smiles as I take the fruit. As soon as the first piece hits my tongue, I feel the ravenous hunger hit me and I devour the food as quickly as I could without choking. Lex allows me to eat and all the while sits back to keep an eye on me. "We thought you were dead for sure, Ak'ta…Jack is worried about you."

I couldn't help but be amused at her nickname for the Elder yautja. Of course he was worried about me; he wasn't about to let me go after he had finally come back. Sure, I still felt a bit hurt by the fact that he hadn't come back when I had needed him most but at the same time…now that I had had time to cool off and think, I understood why he did it. Who was more important? Your Mate or your People? I knew the answer and if I had had the choice between this tribe and J'ak-te…I would have to go for the needs of the many over the one.

"Where are they?" I ask slowly as I set the empty bowl to the side staring at the woman.

She smiles slightly, she was way too observant for her own good sometimes. "They are back on the ship, waiting," she states easily. I tilt my head in confusion and stare at her oddly.

"Waiting for what?" I ask hesitantly. I had figured that I would just wake up in their ship on its way back to their home but I hadn't. I had actually woken up in my old bed with only Lex here.

"For us," she says without much emotion. "They want us to make the choice from what I can gather. That's why they left us here, I guess." She was obviously very confused as to why they would leave us here but I understood without even talking to them. J'ak-te would never take me against my will even if he wanted to; he could just throw me over his shoulder if he wanted and kidnap me back, I knew this. He knew that he was stronger than me by far but the fact that he was giving me a choice made me give a small smile.

I roll my shoulder slowly to get some feeling back into the muscles and stand up gently. Lex moves to help me, successfully getting me to stand straight. "It's up to you, Lex," I say confidently as we walk out of the tent into the dimming daylight of the jungle. The men and women outside of the tent bowed as I passed toward my weapon's hut. I knew that my gear would be there. "You don't have to leave Earth if you don't want to. That is their choice to you; if you choose to come then Ha'alum, or Hala as you call him, will court you. He has already gone through a lot of the process of courting you but he will be patient for you." I entered my hut and started to put on the armor that was racked quite nicely. I guessed that Lex had done this for me and she had even tried to clean the blood off of it, how nice.

She stands behind me in silence for a long time while I pull on my weapons and other bits of armor that I would need. I highly doubted that my communicator still functioned properly but I snapped it around my wrist anyways. I would have to get my armor resized when we got back. I could feel that it wasn't as snug as it used to be. I had thinned out a lot and gained a lot more muscle since this armor was specially made for me so many years ago.

"I'm coming with you."

I stop and look at the woman having expected her to stay here instead. I hadn't expected her to actually jump on board with this strange as shit ship with a creature she knew next to nothing about and go off into space with us. "Are you sure?" I ask softly. "We don't have any time for you to say good-byes."

She smirks lightly. "I have no one to say good-bye to," she states and that was the end of the discussion. I nod my head in agreement and notice that her staff was strapped to her back yet again. That was a beautiful staff that was decorated like an Elder had held it at one time; it was a gift given only to those who were worthy. Ha'alum had picked a very strong choice of Mate.

I finished pulling on my armor and went to speak to the chief of the village. He knew what was going on and let me have a gift of good luck before seeing me to the edge of the village. We entered the jungle without hesitation and I didn't look back for fear that I would second guess my decision. There was no turning back after this but…I didn't want to. I knew now that this was not my home; it wasn't where I belonged. Ever since birth, I had grown up on the home planet of my captors. They had taught me in the ways of the yautja and had given me their sense of honor and courage.

I was a yautja, just in a human's body.

We were barely a mile from the village when I felt rather than saw the presence of the two large creatures cloaked in their camouflage. They walked with us until they had us where the ship was and they let their cloaking devices shut down to show the two giants in front of me. J'ak-te pointed up and I saw that the ship was sitting in the canopy of the rainforest.

I shrugged and was about to start climbing the tree when I felt two arms pull me against a very strong chest. _"You are hurt, Ak'ta,"_ he chuckles softly in my ear making my skin tingle slightly just as he started to jump up towards the ship. The hatch in the bottom was open and it took him maybe thirty seconds to land on the inside of the ship. I would never find any other creature that could do the things J'ak-te's people could. They were strong, fast, clever, sly and way too smart for their own good.

He sets me down gently just as Ha'alum landed right next to us with a very disgruntled Lex in his arms. He trilled as she smacked him playfully on the broad arm. His face went to nuzzle her neck affectionately and I wondered where he had gotten that habit. I had never seen another yautja nuzzle someone let alone in front of another of their kind. It made me smile as Ha'alum let her down slowly to the dock so that we could all enter the ship.

* * *

It was strange, seeing myself on this planet. I hadn't ever dreamed that I would see the yautjas again after the fight in the artic but…it hadn't even crossed my mind that I would get to go to their planet! It was…amazing! I stared out at the landscape after we had landed and wondered idly where I would go from here.

The trip here had been surprisingly short with the technology that the two giant men had and most of the time I slept to regain the energy I had spent in the fighting. If you've never fought for your life then you can't imagine how good it feels to lie down in a bed for the longest, quietest sleep possible. Nothing wakes you up no matter what was going on. And, add to that, the yautja that let me sleep in his bed, for a small price; he slept with me.

Hala was warm and so very solid as he slipped in under the furs to lie next to me. I had smiled through my sleepy delirium and laughed when his arm had wrapped around my waist to pull me against his side. I let myself shift to where I had my head resting on his bicep, my hand placed on his chest. He kicked up the deep purr that resonated through my body slowly lulling me to sleep even though I was already there. He curled the arm that was under my head around to cradle my body against his completely clocking me into his heat.

It was the most amazing feeling I had ever felt. I was completely surrounded by his heat, his strength. It was something that no human man could ever give me no matter how hard they tried. Sleeping with Hala was almost as good as having sex, though, I was a little hesitant to start something like that just yet.

He was surprisingly patient with me whenever I did wake up long enough to eat or shower. Like I said, I spent a lot of time sleeping and regaining energy. Besides that, my arm still hurt from it being tugged out of socket only to be shoved right back into place by a three hundred something pound giant of a man. Hala followed me around until it was completely healed making sure that I wasn't in pain. It was kind of sweet the way he paid such great attention to me.

It made the trip to this planet all that much easier but now that I was here…I was kind of lost. We were sitting in the living room of Jack's house waiting for him to get back. Hala had taken up a constant vigil next to me and had his arm wrapped around the top of the couch his skin radiating heat onto the back of my head. Ak'ta was sitting across from us in a single chair staring out the window to our side.

Her trip hadn't been as easy as mine. She and her old Mate had had a lot of trouble reconciling certain things, usually ending in their roaring at each other in a language that was still completely foreign to me. It was intimidating to see the giant creature growling into the face of a being that was a third of his size but Ak'ta had stood her ground against him. I had the distinct feeling that she was constantly winning this fight that they were locked in.

"Here's the device you asked for, Lady Ak'ta," a very pretty little servant said in English, to my surprise. She hands over something to the woman sitting across from us.

"Thank you, Calypso, I really appreciate it," she smiles taking the little piece of machine into her hand. "And it's just Ak'ta, you know that." The other woman smiles brightly showing off her pretty white teeth before she dismisses herself. "Come here, Lex."

I jump slightly at the sound of my name watching the woman fiddle with the piece keeping her eyes off of me. I stand up, walking over to stand in front of her curiously. "Yes?"

She finishes messing with the thing before handing it over to me. "It's a translator until you start to learn the language," she explains pointing to her ear to show where it went. "They were created not too long ago because humans and other races are starting to become a very common thing on this planet. It'll at least help with…" she glances over at Hala who is watching me closely. "With the language barrier."

I flush lightly at her implications as I stick the piece into my ear. "What now?" I ask not hearing a difference.

"_You just listen,"_ she says and it takes me a few seconds to realize that she was actually talking in the yautja language. I could hear the English version in my right ear while my left ear still heard the original language. _"Does it work?"_

"Yeah!" I say, slightly shocked at the device. How interesting that this race had found a way to translate things instantaneously. It was something I hadn't ever thought would exist but here it was in my ear.

"_What did you give her, Ak'ta?" _I hear a very familiar deep voice say behind me. I look to see Hala quirking his head curiously at us. It made my heart flutter to be able to understand him at long last.

"_A translator,"_ she chuckles lightly.

"_You understand me?"_ he asks looking at me with those intelligent eyes that make a little shiver run down my back slowly. I guessed it was the translator that was making him speak in choppy English or that there were just some things that didn't translate correctly between the two languages because I couldn't imagine him speaking like a caveman; he was far too intelligent. I nod my head. _"Good, we speak now."_ The tone in his voice was something that I couldn't quite explain but by my minor knowledge of facial expressions in his kind, I saw that he was at least happy about it. I could have sworn I heard something else in his voice.

"_I'll leave you two alone, then," _Ak'ta states standing up to exit the room leaving me with a very alert yautja.

I feel a little awkward when he stands up to walk towards me reaching out to touch the mark on my cheek. "Lex," he rasps and I know it's in English because it's the only thing he can say in English. It still has the same effect that it had back when I heard him say it in the temple on Earth. _"I show you something."_

I flush slightly as he leads me out of the living room down the hallway that leads back towards the deeper parts of the house. J'ak-te was obviously very high up in the business of being a male yautja. Ak'ta had told me he was an Elder at one point; if I hadn't believed her then, I did now. The house seemed unending until we finally came to a door that swished open when Hala placed his hand on the scanner to the right of it. _"Close eyes,"_ he said making me laugh slightly.

"Alright," I say closing my eyes only to have his hands cover them as well. "They're closed!" I wasn't sure if he could understand me as I could him but I guessed there must be some knowledge of English to get us this far. He starts to guide me forward until the door closes behind us.

When his hands drop, I guess I am allowed to look so I open my eyes. My breath hitched at what I saw sitting there propped up on a stand. It was the pristine, white skull of the Queen we had fought on Earth. So that was what he had been mixed up with back on the ship. It made sense but it still made my heart pound to see it so well preserved. It was monstrous, about two times my own size; to think I had helped fight and kill that thing was almost like a dream.

I stepped forward slowly, reaching out to touch the smooth, well taken care of, bone. It was like soft porcelain, well cleaned, perfectly buffed. It was obvious that he had taken great care of this skull but it still made my heart pound that he was showing it to me. It was the biggest, most impressive skull in his collection, which was what this room was primarily for, it seemed. I could see other skulls, including a few Xenomorph skulls mixed with others I could not name. It was a very impressive cache of a trophy room.

"_You like?" _he purrs, now standing right behind me. I felt my cheeks grow a bit darker at the feel of his heat permeating my back. My skin tingled as if expecting him to touch me; he stayed right where he was though. I can barely feel my throat as it closes so I nod my head hoping he takes my silence as the speechlessness that it is. His purr becomes louder as he reaches out to turn me around. His beautiful face, those lovely shades of grey, make my insides twist. He cups my face with his huge palm stroking the mark that marred my cheek. _"For you." _He gestures with his free hand to the whole room._ "All is for you."_

I feel my breath hitch again; this was a big deal that it made my heart flutter ridiculously. Where did he get off saying something like that? It was too big a deal! Too much for me to handle, practically! "Why me?" I ask softly when he places both hands on my shoulders.

He trills, what I can only guess is a chuckle of amusement. His arms drop down to my waist and before I know it I am being hauled up against him. I give a soft gasp, my legs instinctively squeezing his sides but I have nothing to worry about…my weight was probably nothing to him. His mandibles and tusks lightly brush my cheek as he nuzzles me gently, purring heavily. That purr, it always relaxed me to the point of bonelessness but now it was vibrating through his chest, against parts of myself that made me flush for another reason other than embarrassment.

"_You are worthy,"_ he growls through the translator in my ear, making me shiver softly. _"You will be Mate."_

There was no question in his tone that slipped through my translator and I knew better than to think I could protest his logic. I had already given myself up to the fact that there was no human that would ever suffice. For some reason, they had never been able to step up to replace Scar, my affectionately nicknamed yautja from the Artic. Human men just seemed so weak, so…puny, compared to the creature I had seen fight. I had always been stronger than many females ever since I was a little girl; I was the kid who would beat up a boy for calling me dirty names. Even before the Artic, I knew that I was different, that there was something other than what I was living on Earth. I never seemed to fit with humans; even those who could keep up with me. Then, Scar came along and changed my perception of the world.

I had been terrified for the first time in my life in the Artic. I hadn't been able to protect myself even though I could climb mountains that sucked the air right out of my lungs. I had been to the roughest parts of Earth and yet it wasn't enough to prepare me for those creatures in the underground, for the Queen. Then, Scar had come along and for the first time in my life I felt like I belonged. He saved my life…the fact that I couldn't save his…weighs down my soul even today. I had been in shock when I saw him die right in front of my eyes but a little later, when I had made it back to the ship…I cried for him. The strongest creature I had ever known, ever met, and I hadn't been able to give him the same he had given to me. I hadn't repaid him for his kindness. It hurt.

Hala was my escape. I had felt lost in a world of humans after that. No job, no adventure, no climb was ever good enough for me. I had tried doing the hardest things to make myself stronger but none of them could amount to what had happened in the Artic. Nothing could truly ever come close to the fight I had been involved with up there. Fighting alongside Scar hadn't been just an adrenaline rush; it had been a life I wanted to live. I wasn't as strong as a yautja, I never would be, but I loved testing myself against something that most humans would cower in fear against. I fought my baser instincts to get out of that underground prison and came out on top.

I hadn't ever thought I would get a second chance until Natasha came to me asking for my help down in the Amazon. She explained to me that what had happened in the Artic was happening again in a temple in the Amazon and that she needed my help. It seems that she had actually known what had happened the whole time but I figured she thought since I was the only one to come out alive, I could help. She was right of course but I went for a different reason than for the money. I wanted to see if I had a chance at seeing another yautja. I wanted to make it up to Scar; I wanted to make him proud even though we had never spoken, we hadn't truly been introduced. I wanted to do well in his honor.

Hala had been my escape from that horrid place. Earth, had become a burden. It had become a prison to trap me forever in its biased atmosphere. No matter what I did, I was always met with the pretense that I couldn't do it because of my gender. What did it matter that I had breasts? What did it matter what I was born as? Just because I was a woman didn't mean I couldn't fight back; didn't mean, I couldn't leave men behind in my wake. Every trip I took, the men would try to one up me but in the end, I was always the winner. There had been no contest but they had created one just so that they could make themselves feel better but it turned out to crush them in the end.

I looked down at the creature holding me and realized that he had never once expected me not to do anything except the things that were humanly impossible. Jumping across ten feet of an abyss, was one of them. It was physically impossible for me to do something like that and he had compensated for me. Other than that, he hadn't expected me to not be able to hold out just because I was a woman. It had felt good to have him expect more of me. He knew I could handle almost everything because of the mark on my cheek, because he knew I could.

"Yes," I whisper finally feeling him freeze in his nuzzling. He pulls away and I can see the smile, his type of smile, itching at his mandibles but he slowly sets me down to the ground. I look up at him curiously.

"_No,"_ he states, my heart clenches. _"Not yet."_

Then he walks off. I am confused for a few moments as I stand there. Not yet? Was there a custom I wasn't used to in their courting mannerisms? It was probably best not to dwell on it until he was ready; it was obvious he wanted us to be Mates so what did it matter if it took a bit longer? I had waited this long, I could wait a bit more.

A bit longer, turned out to be a week. Yeah, it felt like a year to me. Hala was out a lot but it was obvious that he lived with the Elder yautja because I slept in his room even when he was out. I asked him at one point where he was all the time but he had just trilled and said, _"Secret."_

As cryptic as it was, I trust him to know what he was doing and kept myself occupied with learning the language of the planet. Ak'ta was teaching me when she wasn't out and about as well. She left for long periods of time then came back, exhausted and usually went straight to bed. I couldn't tell if she was reconciling things with Jack or not because he was usually gone too. The only people that kept me company were the servants, I found a good friend in Calypso who had plenty of time to help me with my teachings. Using the yautja language with her was easy and I soon found that she was a great and patient teacher. It was easy to understand things with her and by the end of the week I was getting alone fine. I was nowhere near fluent and I still had to use my earpiece but I tried to use the language as much as I possibly could. I probably sounded like a five year old, but Hala was always eager to listen to my choppy yautja when he had time, which was very little. When he did have time, though, it was always spent with me.

It was the last day in the week when Hala approached me while I was having a lesson with Ak'ta in the living area. The door swished open to announce his arrival but I knew it was him by his musky scent that permeated every room he walked into. I looked up with Ak'ta who smiled before excusing herself. She always seemed to know what was going on but she refused to tell me saying, "Not my place to ruin his fun," with that stupid smirk of hers.

"_Welcome back,"_ I said in his language though it was a little stilted and slow.

He trilled happily, reaching out to take my hand. _"I show surprise now,"_ he said guiding me out of the room quickly. I could tell he was eager to show me whatever it was and it made me smile happily that he was so happy.

"_Better be good,"_ I said teasingly earning a bursting purr from the man at my knowledge. I had actually asked Ak'ta to teach me the phrase just for this occasion; yeah, stupid but I had to be prepared!

We walked outside of the house to walk down the street. I hadn't really had the opportunity to walk down the street all that much but Ak'ta had taken me out a bit to show me the ropes. She knew the city well, it seemed; she was eager for me to get used to the area but the place that Hala was taking me was unfamiliar though not too far from Jack's house.

It wasn't too much longer before Hala placed his hand on my shoulder to stop me. I looked up at him looking around for the surprise. "Hala?" I asked curiously before I was turned to the left. I was faced towards a small, yet cozy house that was made of all metal, just like the rest. It had three levels to it and had about four windows that I could see facing the sidewalk. _"House?"_ I ask curiously.

He trills happily before saying, _"Our house."_

My stomach bottoms out when I realize just how big this actually was. To me, it was just a house, but to Hala it was a place for us to call our own. This, was the last part of the courting ritual, it seemed. Now it all made sense! He couldn't ask me to be his Mate without first giving me a place to stay! It was kind of like a human living in his parent's basement. Now that he had his own honor and name, he didn't have to live in the same house as his Master. It hit me like a ton of bricks as I stared at the house that wasn't just some random house anymore; it had more significance to it.

My heart feels like it's about to explode as I turn to the male just as he picks me up again. He seemed to enjoy lifting me in the air but I wasn't about to complain as he nuzzles me again. _"Thank you,"_ I say softly as he starts to purr happily. _"Now, Mate?"_

He gives a tittering little noise that I recognize as a chuckle before he moves towards the house slowly. _"Not yet,"_ he states just as his other hand opens the door.

"What more is there?" I laugh brightly just as the door clicks shut behind us. The house was already furnished it seemed, along with the heat that was natural to them. I wasn't about to complain about it though. I hated the cold ever since the Artic; it brought back too many bad memories.

His purring racks up another frequency and I feel it vibrating through his chest to settle nicely against my body. _"The best part,"_ he whispers in a raspy kind of way that makes my body freeze in shock. I suddenly feel a wall at my back as his hands start to roam across my body freely.

I intake a sharp breath at the contact wrapping my legs around his body as best I can to keep myself up. It wasn't needed as he pulls me up a bit more so that my legs are pressed to the sides of his chest. He gives what, I can only guess is a smirk before he starts purring again. I gasp loudly when the vibrations roll through my pants straight to the most intimate part of my body. My back arches off of the wall just as his mandibles find my neck.

Already, I feel my brain going hazy as his mandibles and hands explore my body. I didn't think there was ever a time on Earth when I was this turned on; I could already feel my body building for my first climax. His hands slipped up under my shirt to shove it straight off of my body; he growled when he found my bra but I quickly helped him discard it so that he didn't rip it up. I knew that by this point, neither of us were willing to wait for him to figure out how to work it.

His hands cupped my breasts, making me moan softly. He growled around his purring letting his thumbs brush across my nipples. The contact, every bit of it, was making my body sensitive, and I was panting even before his mouth dropped to replace one of his hands. His mandibles wrapped around my breast in a way that was alien and new but when his teeth nipped at the perk little bead there I bucked against his chest wantonly. He growled around the breast before his tongue lapped at me slowly.

"H-Hala!" I gasp desperately feeling my peak almost upon me. Somehow sensing this, his purr becomes louder and more violent. It was just the thing I needed to tip me over the edge. I was pretty sure the residences of all the houses around us could hear me as my first orgasm washed over me. I grasped at the appendages falling from his scalp just to get a very stilted yelp from him. He pressed me harshly against the wall and continued his onslaught of my breasts.

Through my haze, I realized that his appendages were very sensitive to touch though I never would have thought them to be an erogenous zone. _"B-Bed!"_ I grit running my hand down one of his thick appendages. He seems to slightly register my word before I am flung over his shoulder as gently as he can manage at the moment and carted to his-our room.

As soon as my back lands on the fur-covered bed, I feel him crawling onto the bed hooking his fingers in my pants before jerking them down and off of me. I'm vaguely aware of my underwear going with them before he is hovering above me. I feel his appendages drape down to tickle my face just as his fingers drag down my form. My body becomes tense the closer he gets to that one spot of my body until his finger runs over it making me jerk in pleasure. He pauses, as if in shock, and goes over the small little bud with his finger earning a response that seems to please him because he does it again.

His onslaught makes my body tremble violently. He watches my face closely as his fingers continue down to my entrance. He rubs experimentally, earning a soft moan of desperation from me. It had been a long time since I had been penetrated by anything and as he teased me I gave a small, _"Please",_ that he couldn't ignore.

One finger slipped past my entrance dragging a slow sigh from my lips at the small release of tension it created. He purred loudly as I pressed into his finger needing some kind of friction that he rewarded by thrusting back and forth into my heat. I felt my world tip at the new pleasure as his body loomed over mine. I had to have something to hold onto or I felt like I was going to fall right off the edge. I was already highly sensitized from the earlier orgasm and I needed to feel some kind of support so I reached up to grasp at the back of my lover's head.

His purring hitched slightly as I started to stroke two of the appendages on his head. He started to thrust harder rewarding me for the pleasure and I felt my vision start to blur as pleasure wracked my body. _"Gods, _Hala!" I shouted as his finger brushed lightly against the spot inside of my body. He jerked to attention and aimed for that spot again enjoying my noises, the way it made me pant wantonly. I arched my back when he hit it again whimpering in need as my second orgasm got closer. _"Please,"_ I whispered softly and he grunted. I finally saw stars when a second finger joined his first both striking at my spot relentlessly and I opened my mouth in a silent scream as my breath stayed in my lungs with the pleasure.

He pulled his fingers out of me when I fell back to the bed in a trembling mess, my breath rushing out of my lungs in panted bursts. He pulled away from me for a few moments but wasn't gone for long when he eased himself between my legs. I felt myself moan when the tip of his erection pressed against my throbbing warmth. God, I had waited a long time for this! I gripped at his shoulders to pull him closer but he took my hands and placed them at my sides. _"Slowly,"_ he whispers and stays sitting up straight on his knees.

He was right but my body needed him right then and I moaned desperately. His head pressed against my entrance softly and then the stretching started. I wasn't a stranger to pain but I felt myself being split open by his girth. It was a welcome pain that made my body tremble wantonly; I was so aroused that the pain only added to my pleasure as he held one hip in his hand to pull me slowly closer. It would have been so easy for him to just penetrate me in one dive but he was taking his time so that I wouldn't feel the pain.

His other hand pressed against my pelvis and slipped lower until his thumb brushed my clit again causing me to buck my hips. I yelled something that sounded strangely like, _"More", _and he pressed me down with that same hand. He was going so agonizingly slow just as I felt his thickest part break past my entrance. The rest of his member slipped easily into me until I was completely filled with him.

It was an experience, a feeling, unlike anything else I had ever felt and I was for a few moments speechless in my pleasure. The feeling made my toes curl and the mere feel of myself wrapped around his girth almost had me in my third orgasm. He was trembling with pleasure and I laid there for a few moments letting myself completely adjust to his texture, all the veins and ridges that made up his manhood.

"Lex," he rasped out making my skin tingle as his hands pulled me up. He adjusted me so that I was sitting on his lap and he pushed me down further.

"Oh God!" I groaned as he was pushed as deep as possible in my heated core. It made me tremble and I wrapped my legs around his waist. His arms were wrapped around my back but slowly he slipped them down to curve under my thighs. I tensed when I felt him slowly raise me up off of his thick erection; it was so slow that I thought I might be driven mad with pleasure and need. He grunted before his hands shoved me down in a motion so quick I barely had time to scream before a rhythm was created.

"Lex," he whispers as his hands push me up and down over him. He whispers something so softly my translator doesn't pick it up but I get the drift as gently sets me back to the bed wrapping his arm under my lower back to press my hips into his own. I feel his thrust into me and it rocks my world and makes me see stars; I press into his thrusts to get him even deeper my cries becoming incoherent and I grip his shoulders as he presses my body against his. It was like shear heaven as I felt myself growing hazy with my building orgasm.

His grunting becomes louder with my growing screams until his thrusts become shallow and erratic driving us both to our edge. He adjusts slightly and I dig my nails into his back as he drags his head across the spot inside of my body sending me over the edge. My walls clench harshly around his manhood and he roars as his seed spills into my body. His mandibles flare then pierce into my shoulder only making my orgasm that much better.

We bow up together for a few moments of stillness that feel like forever as our orgasms wash over us. He eases off of my shoulder, which is probably bleeding, before he slips out of my body completely spent. I sigh softly feeling the throbbing sensation of having one so large pressed inside of me as he eases beside me to pull my back against his chest, spooning me affectionately.

For a few minutes we lie in silence before he nuzzles my neck where he had effectively marked me. _"Now, we are Mates,"_ he whispers into the ear without the translator. I understand it perfectly. I know the meaning behind the words and let that lull me to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Kanassa: The Goddess of Fire**

**Summary:** .Sequel to Dahdtoudi: The Servant Girl. Kanassa has settled into her life with the Tribe of Fire deep within the Amazon until Lex and Weyland Industries interrupt her. The Hunt has begun and she that their Temple is in danger of being overrun by monsters.

**Rating:** MA

_For chapter: MA_

**Warnings: **Sexual Content; language

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Predator or any of the ideas from their culture that stem from the movies or the comics. However, I do own Kanassa/Ak'ta and the underlying plot idea. Please do not steal.

**Extra Note: **Sorry this took so long! But, thanks to all who have been reviewing! After this chapter I think there will be one more chapter to finish the whole story! Enjoy!

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It felt good to be back home. The warmth of the planet was such a welcome feel as I stepped off of the ship to look around me. The hazy sky filled with beautiful red and orange clouds made me smile and take in a deep breath of the nitrogen rich air. It would take a while for my body to get used to the different atmosphere but I knew for a fact that humans were more than capable of surviving here.

It felt good. It felt so good that I actually smiled. The trip here had been something of a nightmare between J'ak-te and myself; I guess you could say I was still a little bitter toward him. I tried to think of a way to make myself forgive him but…I couldn't. In my heart, I knew that I might never forgive him; I knew that it would take a long time…or might never happen. For all of the yelling we had done at each other, J'ak-te never struck me, he never lashed out. For that, I had to give him credit. I would have hit me if I were him.

As soon as I got back to the house I went to see Calypso. She was just as I remembered her and it made me smile to have someone familiar to cling to. Her constant prattling about my beautiful hair being gone and the scar that had come about because of my bullet wound was a welcome hassle. I had missed her deeply in my travels.

After the first day, I was already bored with staying in the house. Though, it was beautiful and had plenty for me to do, I was bored. I had never been one to be satisfied with staying still so I decided that I would go out into the city. Women on this planet ran the politics and businesses. They were agriculturalists, politicians, guardians, mothers, foragers, and healers. They ran everything that went on in the city and I wanted in on it. I was tired of being just a passive little servant girl who didn't know anything about politics. I wanted to do something productive.

Now, not everyone was allowed to be in the workings of the city, especially not humans. I was the bottom of the barrel even though I wasn't a servant anymore. I was a blooded warrior by the mark on my forehead; I commanded respect from everyone as I walked down the streets. They knew that I wasn't a servant and I wasn't just some love slave. I was a strong female who had killed a Xenomorph, Mated to an Elder. Everyone knew who I was affiliated with because of the mark on my forehead. That was J'ak-te's personal mark used only by students and those he felt were worthy; it was the mark taken from his Master when he passed onto the next world. It was a sign of strength and pride.

I didn't want to be in the politics though. I wanted to just find a job that let me have the freedom to go on hunts with J'ak-te but gave some kind of income. I didn't want to rely on J'ak-te's status, plus, I was ready to do something, anything! I couldn't be stagnant while J'ak-te went out to do things that Elders were supposed to do.

"Can I help you?" a very large, busy female yautja asked as I walked into the main area of the city guard headquarters. This was kind of like the police officers on Earth; this group of female yautja watched the city during the daytime and made sure it was safe at night. I wasn't quite sure how you got a job in the guard but I was pretty sure I was cut out for it. There was no way I was going to flip a yautja over my shoulder but I was small and fast enough to outmaneuver one.

"I was wondering how you became a part of the city guard," I state simply using my close to flawless yautja. There were harder parts to the language, such as clicking of the tusks, which I didn't have of course, so I used a click of my tongue instead but the growls were pretty much perfect by now.

She looked me up and down for a second then her eyes landed on my mark. I could see in her amber eyes that she was contemplating something. "You can obviously fight, ooman, but I have to ask if you can take down a yautja," she states standing up to her imposing height. She was probably a foot taller than J'ak-te so to say that I was puny compared to her would be an understatement.

I gave a shrug. "I cope," I say with a slight smirk. I knew not to back down as she moved from behind the desk she was sitting behind to show her full form. She was a beautiful blood red color mixed with green spots and milky white undertones that made her stand out. Her appendages where black with slight hints of red and I wondered idly where those beautiful colors had come from. It was rare to see a female as beautiful as she was; I would expect her to be kept at home for breeding. Instead, she had arms that were about as big as my waist and thighs the size of a small tree trunk. Her core, I could see through the break in her armor, was completely toned and I wondered idly if she had ever had a pup in her entire life.

"To cope is not the same as to fight," she titters obviously very amused by my words. The fact that she didn't judge me by my race was a good sign but it was still intimidating to have her tower over me. "Can you use a combi-stick?"

I had mine strapped across my back so I quirked my eyebrow. "I don't wear it for fashion," I say crossing my arms defiantly.

She give a small trill at my words before gesturing towards another door. "Sorry, you know we have to ask those things. Most humans don't know how to spell their own names, let alone wield a weapon," she jokes and I decide to let the quip on my race slide. It was mostly true. "You are Elder J'ak-te's Mate, correct?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, as of right now," I state harshly.

She seems to get the hint with a nod of her head. "We've heard a lot about you," she offers calmly though I understood her words perfectly. J'ak-te had spoken of me to the other Elders in his circle and they had gone to the Elders in the circle of females. Lex's name had probably been thrown around as well. "I am S'ial."

"Ak'ta, but you probably already knew that," I chuckle lightly as she nods her head with a grin. "So how do I prove myself? I know it can't be as easy as just walking through with you S'ial." She opens another door and I find myself in a room full of lockers.

Her hand reaches out to touch one of the bottom lockers seeing as the top of it came to about my nose. The taller ones were way beyond my reach, being for the taller of the females that worked in the guard. I saw the locker was empty but as she programmed the scanner to open only for my hand she spoke up. "You're right, of course, you still have to go through an orientation class for all the new guardswomen but it will be easy for you, I'm sure," she explains as she gestures over to a bench where we take a seat. "After the orientation is done, you will be fitted for a uniform and given an area to call your own. Other than that, you are all set."

I nod my head slightly. "When is the orientation?" I ask curiously.

"Starts tomorrow at sun-up," she says before leaning back with her palms against the back edge of the bench. "Don't be late or Zak'ti will rip you a new one. Just for fair warning, of course." I could see the smirk on her mandibles and I returned it.

"Of course, because all newbie's are given this much warning, I'm sure," I say sarcastically with a laugh. She joins in and I have a very strong feeling that we are going to be very good friends by the end of this.

When I get home, I head straight for the training room. This was the one place I had inhabited the most since we got back to the planet. It was a nice way to relax as well as keep in shape. I was sure that S'ial was just being nice and down grading what the orientation would actually be like. I needed to be ready and since my wound had completely healed I was free in my movements. So I set myself to working out; it was easiest when there was no one in the house. Hala (ever since Lex had started calling him by his nickname I had joined in) was constantly wanting to spar with me and Lex wanted lessons in the yautja language, which I didn't mind giving to her, when I wasn't busy.

I got an hour of work out in before the door swished open. Holding in a sigh, I turned to tell the person to give me ten more minutes only to be faced with my Mate. My sigh nearly choked me. He never came into the training room when I was in here; it was kind of a silent contract between the two of us. Now he was here…right in front of me.

He leaned against the wall in just his loincloth reminding me of why I chose him in the first place as a Mate. He was a dark, forest green on the tops of his arms and around his chest that slowly melted into an off-white color. His spots were a little more prominent now but he was the same creature to take me in all those years ago. His golden green eyes stared at me from under heavy brow that was a lot more frilled than I remember him being. His appendages were a bit more grey now as well but it only added to his charm, to his honor.

"City guard?" he asks without delay quirking a mandible curiously.

I give him a rather wicked grin as I place the practice combi-stick back where I had gotten it. It seemed that J'ak-te wanted to talk again. I had hoped he would hold off until I got my job as a city guard but it wasn't going to happen. "Yes," I say shortly walking over to stand in front of him.

He thinks for a second, carefully choosing his words. "You do not need to take on a job," he clicks, uncrossing his massive arms from in front of his chest.

I know he means well but I bristle anyways. "J'ak-te, you know me enough to understand that I cannot sit around this house without something to do," I state calmly trying to keep the malice out of my voice. He tilted his head to the side as if taking in my emotions slowly. He hadn't meant any offense with his words but it still made me a little angry that he thought I would just sit around the house having his babies.

He lets out a deep sigh. "I know," he whispers with a wry smile. "I knew you would get bored eventually. I'm sorry, I forget that you are much more independent than you were. I just want you to know that I am willing to support you, whatever you choose."

His words make my heart throb painfully. "Is that all?" I ask curtly. I needed to be away from him, from his scent; I needed to keep my mind focused on the task at hand.

I see the hurt in his eyes at my blatant dismissal just before he stands straight from the wall. "I thought we could spar," he offers gently. I felt my back tense at the thought but forced myself to relax. I didn't want him to see how he effected me. Just being around him was a hassle; I didn't want to admit to myself that I had missed him.

Turning around, I go back to grab my combi-stick. "Sure," I say after a few moments of thinking. Maybe I could beat the crap out of him and clear my head. It would feel good to kick the big guy around even if I knew he was much stronger than myself. I toss him a staff as well before we stand there in the middle of the room staring at each other.

My pulse jumped when his muscles flexed before the charge. His speed was incredible for one so large, nearly intimidating me to move prematurely. I held back my baser instinct to wait until he was nearly on top of me. With my small body, it was easy to dodge under his arms using the side of my staff to knock against the back of his knees lightly. He grunted at the sharp pain before jerking around.

I was already jumping at him by the time he had about faced. His hand reached up to catch my staff mid-leap tossing me to the side with it. I had to maneuver myself around so that I would land on my feet instead of my back but once I hit ground I pounced at the creature. His body was putting off a kind of heat that could only be achieved by his race as his hands grappled for my staff. I ducked a bit so that I could jab the blunt end of my staff into the rock hard stomach of the man.

I felt the impact vibrate down the staff but I successfully knocked some of the wind out of the male's lungs. His hands still grabbed the back of my armor to haul me up. I smacked the broad arm that held me, effectively loosening the grip so that I could twist away. He recovered quick enough to wrap an arm around my waist jerking my back against his chest then squeezed.

Air rushed out of my lungs as I struggled weakly to pull away from his bear hug. This was dangerous business I had gotten myself into. If I didn't get out of it, I was done. I squirmed through my breathlessness just as I felt mandibles on the back of my neck; he let out a warm breath across the top of my spine making me yelp audibly. My insides lit on fire at the contact suddenly realizing the position I was in.

I growled as he started to run his mandibles down my neck. "Get off!" I roared jabbing my staff into his side. I heard him grunt and wedged myself out of his grasp to jump away from him turning to charge. "You ass!" I jumped up to swing my staff at the man's head; I didn't even care that this was supposed to be a friendly spar, he had turned it a little more than just friendly. He had crossed the line.

His hands came up to close around my wrists, bringing my journey to a screeching halt mid-jump. He chuckled lightly as I struggled pulling me closer. "Don't pretend it had no effect," he growls darkly earning a very swift knee to the underside of his chin.

"Fuck you!" I nearly scream as he drops me to the ground. I lash out with the staff connecting with the backs of his knees, sweeping his legs out from under him. He fell heavily and I leapt to stand over him pressing my staff against his throat. "How dare you!" I pant feeling the sweat drip down my back slowly, tickling my skin. "How dare you do something like that!"

He smirks up at me even though he is in a position of submission. "Do what? Make you realize that you're not as mad at me as you think?" he asks making me growl. He chuckles and in a blink of an eye I am on my back with him on top of me. How had he moved that fast? I felt him press in-between my legs and I sucked in a lungful of air sharply. Why was this such an invigorating feeling to have him hovering over me? I should be repulsed that this betraying male was getting into my space but…"When you figure out that you're ready to work this out…come find me," he whispers into my ear sending a shiver down my spine.

Then he's gone. Just like that, he walks out the door leaving me to pant on the floor of the training hall. "Fuck," I whisper covering my face with my hands. I was trembling ever so slightly but I knew there was no way to fool J'ak-te. He could smell my arousal; he could hear my heartbeat.

The next day started my orientation for the city guard. It was a nice distraction from my problems with J'ak-te. The episode in the training room had shown me that I still had feelings for the man, though, I had figured that much. I just couldn't figure out how I could still be so drawn to him, sexually, more than emotionally. Emotionally, I was still at odds with myself. Yes, I understood why he had to stay but the selfish, stubborn part of my mind wanted me to stay angry at him for leaving me there to rot.

His words still stuck with me though. I did love J'ak-te, this much was true, but could I truly forgive him? Would my stubborn will let me? Could I truly trust J'ak-te one day? Was it worth it or was it just a waste of time? The questions were daunting and unanswerable. I wish my relationship were as simple as Lex and Hala's. They were so…right for each other. He looked at her as if she were the only creature on the planet and she looked at him as if he were made for her. It was romantic and…

I sighed. My relationship with J'ak-te would never be the same. I could hope and wish all I wanted but it would never happen. Something between us had changed and to make this work we would have to get used to the change. He couldn't see me as the helpless, bold-eyed little servant just as I could never see him as the strong, brave, mysterious Elder. We had changed since the beginning of our relationship; we would have to change the relationship to fit and if it didn't then it was lost.

The thought of having to re-learn J'ak-te scared me. I didn't want to tell him all of the things that had happened on Earth and I was afraid of the stories of the war. They had changed us so much that I was afraid the relationship would be a lost cause. I wanted it to work. I wanted to go back to what we had before those years of separation but…no, this was a new relationship. I was a new person and I needed to talk to J'ak-te after the orientation so that we could set this up. It was worth a try but if it didn't work then I would hope we were both mature enough to see that and move on.

I jerked back to reality when one of the women in the room gave a barking laugh at something. There were three other women in the room but I was the only human, not that that didn't surprise me. The other women were sitting a little ways away from me; I was almost sure they were laughing about a joke made about me. It didn't bother me because I would show them what I was made of in the end.

A few hours later, I dragged myself into the door feeling like shit. Zak'ti was a harsh bitch of a woman who worked even the yautja females to their very brink. I was pretty sure she didn't think I would last as long as I did either. It should have been expected but it still hurt a little that she had expected me to fall. In fact, I had done very well considering the group I was with. They were all well-weathered warrior women who had been on plenty of hunts even though women weren't expected to.

My body was killing me something fierce as I went straight towards my bedroom. I was almost there when a door swished open and J'ak-te stepped out into the hallway. He jumped at seeing me as I stopped. "Hard day?" he asks with a slight smirk on his mandibles.

"Yeah," I say way too tired to be angry. "I'm going straight to bed."

I try to walk past him until his hand reaches out to touch my shoulder. "Come here," he whispers making the hair on the back of my neck bristle in warning. "Please?"

I stare into his green eyes for a long while, what could it hurt? I'm trying to decide if I should give in; I did want to talk when I got back from the orientation. I was just so tired, I didn't think I had the strength to fight back against anything he said. I didn't think I had had the mental capabilities to withstand any war stories during the time that kept him away from me.

"Okay," I whisper gently before he takes my hand and leads me into his bedroom. I feel a little uncomfortable but once I see that all too familiar bed made of bones and covered in furs, I relent. I move to take off my armor but find his hands are already there, helping me.

He feels me tense up and leans down to brush his mandibles lightly across my ears. "Just relax. You are tired," he tells me as my hands are pushed to my sides. I admit, it felt so nice to just let someone take the weight off of my shoulders, literally. His hands slowly slid along my shoulders as my shoulder plates were removed sending a shiver down my spine. He did everything for me in those few moments; he let he sit down on the bed as he took off my shin guards and my shoes. I knew he was cheating slightly by running his fingers along my skin after the armor but I didn't care. I was far too relaxed to notice anything other than the feel of that heavy armor being removed from my body.

When I was just in my under clothing he slipped out of his own armor and tugged me gently up along the bed. The temperature was already warm so I didn't slip under the blankets, content with just lying there with my back to the creature. Slowly, delicately, as if afraid I would run, he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me back against his chest. His warmth slowly soaked through my tired muscles making me relax completely. I let him place his arm under my head as a pillow, completely giving up my anger for just a few minutes of relaxation and pleasure.

"Mm, this is nice," I whisper without realizing it before I slip into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Having her in my arms again was like a little piece of the past. Her body was something I had almost forgotten since we had been separated and she seemed hesitant, scared even, to touch me since we got back. It hurt my pride, a lot, actually. If my father were alive, he would shun me for my _weakness _but my mother, she was completely accommodating. How the two of them had become Mates, I will never understand. She had grown up in a family with a mother of human origins as well. She knew what it was like to grow up with kindness, love and affection, which she passed on to me as much as she could.

To my mother, love and tenderness was not a sign of weakness but a sign of great strength. She used to tell me that for someone so strong, so big, and so aggressive as a yautja male, the most amazing and truly awe-inspiring thing to see was for him to be gentle; for that male to know that he could make any woman submit under him but to take his time, be patient, and to love her kindly. My mother had looked more like a yautja than her brother's and sisters but she had been more human on the inside. Her mother, my grandmother, had been part human and looked more the part, and had taken great time to teach my mother the values of humankind.

I stared down at the woman in my arms mournfully. Humankind had taken a lot out of this human lying in peaceful sleep for the first time in a long while. It wasn't to say that I did not like this Ak'ta. She was strong, brave, and without a doubt stubborn, all qualities that I admired and honestly, aroused me but…I missed the other, more human, qualities that she had had before being trapped on Earth. Her curiosity, her eagerness to learn, her ability to look at me with that smile and melt my heart, and the endless trust…I missed those qualities.

Earth, had truly changed my lover.

As the day dawned, she started to stir, effectively waking me up. She went to stretch only to halt when she felt my body wrapped around hers. Confusion, probably, for ending up in a bed with me. We hadn't slept in the same bed since we got back and it was lonely for me. Perhaps, now that I had shown her that I could behave and she could trust me not to make a sexual advance, though I wanted to, she would be more inclined to sleep with me.

I started purring to relax her and she turned to face me a slight smile on her face. "Good morning," she whispers, her voice hoarse from the sleep.

I feel myself purr louder, harder at the beautiful smile on her face. "Yes, it is," I respond, pulling her gently against my body. She doesn't resist like I thought she might and actually pressed her forehead against my chest. The contact of her skin against mine was like a drug. I needed more.

Taking a chance, I moved to pull her up as I lay back tugging her body up on top of mine. She tensed for a few seconds before settling her head against my chest running her fingers along my arm idly. To be wrapped so nicely around her was a breath of fresh air. She felt so nice on top of me, though, truthfully, I wished it to be in a different, more intimate manner. I had to push the thoughts that invaded my mind away; this was enough, for now.

"I have to get ready for orientation," she mutters softly and I swear I can hear some hesitation in her voice. Was it because she was still hurting from yesterday or because she didn't want to move? I'd probably never know.

I smirk slightly running my hand down her back gently. "Actually, Zak'tia had something pressing she had to take care of today so orientation will start again tomorrow," I say innocently.

Ak'ta shifts and sits up with her hands planted on either side of my head. "Oh really now? This something _pressing _wouldn't happen to be for the Elders would it?" she asks, not at all fooled. Then again, if she had been ignorant of my words and their implications, I would have been worried. There wasn't anything I could get past her no matter how hard I tried. This was why she was my Mate; this was why she was so strong.

I shrugged slightly. "Possibly," I say nonchalantly, holding in a smirk. She quirks a fine, auburn eyebrow but settles back down onto my chest with a sigh of content. "I thought we could spend the day together." I felt her take a slow breath and for a second I thought she would object but instead she chuckles.

"I'd like that," she mutters under her breath as if afraid of the implications.

I stroke her back tenderly feeling my chest swell with relief. I wanted to try and make this work between us; I wasn't a fool to think that Ak'ta was the same as she had been back before Earth but I liked this Ak'ta as well. It had taken me a while to get used to her new temper and her snappish comebacks but she was strong, stubborn and willful. Those were all qualities that I had come to find extremely attractive in her. I liked when she fought back against me though if anyone knew then I would probably be called a masochist; she was more a warrior now then she had been before.

"What do you want to do today?" she asks after a while of just lying on my chest. It was slightly hesitant but at the same time confident. I was glad she wanted to try and make this work; I knew she felt hurt by my _abandonment_, as she called it, but I was going to make it up to her. I was going to prove to her that I could be trusted!

"Well, my mother invited us to lunch, if you were interested," I offer up, thinking it would be a fantastic idea if the two women met. My mother had been a warrior before she settled down and decided to join the politics of the planet.

Ak'ta quirked a fine eyebrow in question. "You want me to meet your parents?" she chuckles resting her chin on her hands, staring up at me. "She doesn't mind humans does she?"

I twitch my upper mandibles in amusement. "My grandmother was half-human," I answer easily. Ak'ta jerks her head up in shock, staring at me as certain things dawned in her eyes. Everything started to click into place as she sat up, her legs on either side of the slimmest section of my waist. "I chose you for a very good reason."

Her eyes mirror the battle that was going on in her brain and it was interesting to see the emotions play across her beautiful face. She looked absolutely right sitting on top of me in her thin loincloth and hide top. It was a shame that her hair had been chopped off to stick close to her head but, to be honest, it was growing on me. She looked…dangerous with this new haircut and it fit her better than the long, flowing hair had. She was a bit more tan that I remembered her being but living for so many years in a hot jungle, you would get some color. I could see that she had lost some weight around her hips and was firmer at her stomach but still had a proportional set of mammary glands that almost had me salivating.

"I think," she starts slowly, thinking through her words. "I'd like to meet your mother."

"Good," I whisper, moving to sit up, her body sliding down my stomach until she's in my lap. Her cheeks flush a brilliant red as her legs automatically go to wrap around my waist; small, capable hands rest at the bend of my elbows. My hands move to encircle her in my embrace and musk. I took in a draught of her scent and could detect the slight hint of arousal at our position. If I really wanted to get her riled up, all I had to do was press her down on her back and cover her body with my own.

The moment I saw her with that Shifter, my blood had nearly boiled. He would never be able to satisfy her hungers and desires like I could; she was a warrior and needed to be treated as such. Yes, she had been aroused and that was what led me to her in the first place but she had been overwhelmed in the spar just two days ago. The old Ak'ta would be satisfied with slow and easy but when this warrior wanted to be seduced, she wanted to be _taken_.

She glanced up at my face and the heat behind her expression was nearly my undoing. I wouldn't let her forget how easy it was for me to perk her desires; how easy it was for me to satisfy them. Warmth seeped from her sex to heat my own loincloth and I had to hold my urges, my instincts, back from just having her there. Everything said she was my Mate and God's above I wanted to prove it so badly.

Her hands clenched on my arms as a potent wave of arousal scented the air. Something had crossed her mind and I wanted, desperately, to know what it was. I wanted to know what was so enticing that it would make her scent so deliciously. She was ready, God's, she was ready and I had to hold back; we both held back. Instead of going with our instincts, we were fighting against them. We were playing games with each other as we sat there to see who would crack first. Sadly, I felt like it was going to be me.

Leaning down, I tried to turn the tables. "Tell me," I whisper straight into her ear. My hands felt the shiver rush down her spine and she shifted just slightly, the only betrayal of her discomfort. Her head was bowed and her blunt nails were digging into my thick hide, barely a minor pressure but still there.

She finally straightens and brushes her lips across my lower mandible. "Wondering how long it'll take for you to give in," she whispers in a husky tone that makes my arousal become apparent. "Mm, that was easy." Her hands run up my arms until her deft fingers are running across my appendages, sending a violent shiver down my spine.

She was right, I couldn't handle anymore as I grip her by the upper arms and throw her down. I hear the startled yelp but it only fuels my fire as I push at her top so that she starts to pull it over her head. She doesn't have it off her arms before I press down on it, effectively pinning her arms above her head. Her growl of disapproval is useless as her scent becomes thick and heady in the air, wrapping me in a blanket of pure lust.

"You're an-ah," her protests dissolves into a moan of bliss as my tongue peeks out to run along her nipple. My mandibles frame her perky breast perfectly as I allow my teeth to lightly graze the sensitive nub. She arches into my form and I run my other hand up under her beautifully curved back, following the contour until I'm slipping my hands up under her loincloth. "J-J'ak-te!" she moans, trying to get more of my hand as I skim the edges of her sex slowly.

For once, I was glad for my human-like nails that were strong but not as strong as a full-blooded Yautja's, which would cut her open in a second. I was still very careful with the sharp nails as I ran my finger down through the tuff of orange hair above her sex, grazing lightly over the sensitive bud. Her hips buck in response, her chest pressing up against my mouth as she fights to get more friction. I savor her sounds like a fine liquor as I slowly trail my mandibles and tongue down her stomach, enjoying the way her body gained tension the further down I went. When my tongue finally swept over her bud, she threw her head back and nearly screamed in pleasure.

Her body was heating up rather rapidly and I could tell that it had been a very long time since she had been pleasured. She wasn't going to last long. I decided to let her have her orgasm and as I laved her bud, I slipped a finger into her warmth. Her strong arms fought against my hold, actually putting up an impressive fight until I released her. She instantly sifted her hands through my appendages, stroking and enticing me to start purring.

* * *

I knew I should stop this but it had been such a long time since I had been so aroused and he seemed more than happy to humor me. I felt bad for feeling so good when I had never been this turned-on by Bolivar but I wasn't a weak little human as he treated me. Delicate and gentle were never good enough for me and, bless him, he had tried to accommodate my need for violence and passion but he just didn't have it in him. I had been raised by a people who fought while mating. A female wouldn't let a male mount her unless she knew he was strong enough to subdue her. I found that the one thing that aroused me the most was being challenged and having my ass handed to me by a warrior stronger than me.

He let me arms go and I slipped them from the shirt to stroke through his appendages to give back some of the pleasure I was feeling. I had forgotten how dominating and passionate J'ak-te could be and it made my sex throb in anticipation. I guess, I needed to know that I was still sexually attracted to my Mate and sex wasn't seen on this planet as it was on Earth. Mating was a normal part of life; even if you didn't have a Mate, you still had sex. It was part of being a sexual creature; he wouldn't take it like a human male would. This encouraged me to let him do as he wished.

A deep, reverberating purr started up in the male's chest and it did something I hadn't expected. It was so strong that I could feel the pulsations through the tongue that was laving my sensitive clit. The response was instant and I knew that as soon as he pressed a finger into my depths that this was all I would be able to handle. I arched into the feeling, undulating my hips against his finger and mouth. I couldn't keep still; I needed more.

A tittering chuckle came from the man without halt of the purr, a beautiful harmony, as he started to slow his finger so that he could press another finger into my tight depths. I whimpered helplessly as my depraved body was overwhelmed with feeling. I could feel the building of my orgasm as he slipped up over my body, hovering over me to stare into my face. His eyes were hazed with heat and desire, a potent combination as his thumb swirled around my clit.

I screamed out as his fingers gently bent to stroke my inner spot, sending me into a frenzy of pleasure that nearly blinded me. My hands clenched at his shoulders, digging into the thick hide, as my orgasm clashed over me like a wave of sensation. My mouth opened but the only thing that came out was a small whine of pleasure. I couldn't see anything but light for a few moments as my body froze in an impossible arch off the bed, his fingers still buried deep within me. They had slowed, dragging out every drop of my orgasm.

Nine years…it had been that long since I had had an orgasm that powerful. For a few minutes, I let myself catch what little breath I could, eyes closed and body hot. My body was throbbing with the expense of energy and I let my hands stay on the yautja's shoulders, feeling his own body heat pulsating through my body.

His hand ran across my side, sending a shiver through my body as he pulled me close. I felt his heat envelop me as I smiled; I was shocked by how comforting it was to be in his arms. He ran his mandibles through my hair before pulling away and shifting off the bed towards the bathroom. "Wait," I whisper, voice hoarse. "What about-"

"Not yet," he interrupts before disappearing into the bathroom.

I lay there on my stomach staring at the door in confusion. He didn't want to finish the deed? It was confusing but I let myself relax on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He had left himself out of the whole ordeal; I had expected to finish the job but…

Moving off the bed, I stormed into the bathroom, determined to get answers. I opened my mouth to shout at him only to have the words choke me. He stood under the water, completely naked, and in all his glory. His skin was beautiful and his strength was shown in every inch of muscle and scar that littered his body. He glanced back at me and gave a smile.

"What did you mean?" I finally manage to ask.

He gestures for me to join him under the water and I do without a second thought. His arms wrap around me, pulling me against his body so that the water rushes across my aching muscles, soothing me. "I don't want to ruin anything by moving too quickly," he explains, running a hand through my hair to sift the water through.

I chuckle softly, finding this whole situation rather funny. He looks down at me curiously. "Nothing, it's just…" I stop and lean up to kiss his lower mandible. "I don't know how I didn't guess you were part human before."

He clicks his mandibles in mock irritation but the humor in his eyes betray him. "Well, then, you're going to love my mother!" he chuckles, grabbing the soap to start washing me.


End file.
